Le Sacrifice
by sweetatoo
Summary: He doesn't realize how important she is to him until she's caught an incurable illness. Now, he's willing to make a sacrifice just to see her smile again. That is true love, isn't it? Only this love won't last long, or will it?
1. S

**Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass.**

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><p><strong>'<strong>

France, November 14th, 1441.

The dining room was lit up brightly with several candles lining on either side of the room. Their yellow light cast a warm glow all over those present in such place. The wall was decorated with quite a lot of portraits of famous people from the family or the century they were living in. Each portrait was hung at about ten feet from each other, and all these said pictures were neatly framed in gold entirely to match with the yellow glow of the candles that were arranged orderly on the walls.

There was a long, nicely-carved table at the middle of the room that was covered in a simple but pure white table cloth. Sitting on it at the middle were a big vase of red, blooming roses and many, plenty of silver plates scattering around with steamy and mouth-watering food on them. There were also several cups that contained fresh water in case they needed it. Though they barely touched said cups, they still demanded it be brought out. Also, next to the two most important persons in the household whom were sitting at the table were two shining silver wine goblets that had their favorite wine in them, the Riesling.

By now, it would be assumed that most of the household members were sitting and sharing the delicious food, but no. No one was sitting at the expensive wooden table beside the heads of the family, two of the most important people in the society at that time.

One man and one woman. The man was clad in the usual fancy clothes that were designed exclusively for noblesse militaire only. There were many expensive ornaments and jewelries decorating his attire at around his hip and at the bottoms of his long white sleeves. What stood out the most about this man were first, his curly brown and soft hair. Hair that most men envied and women tempted to caress. Second, his emerald green eyes that were so big and deep that once looked into, one could hardly pull away. That's probably why he got so much attention from people and people listened to him, loved to spend time with him, though mostly women, high-class, influential women.

The woman. Well, she was just different. She was beautiful, of course. They didn't get to be the most respected people in the society for nothing. However, she was also wise. Her friends or even people she hardly recognized flocked to her for advices, or maybe they just came over to admire her beauty, to stare into her gol—

"More wine, please."

Startled, Lelouch quickly rushed forward and almost tripped on his own feet in the process. Luckily, he had recovered before dropping the big Riesling bottle and spilling it.

She saw that and chuckled as he came closer. "Been daydreaming again, Lelouch?"

"No, Madame," he said quickly while pouring the wine from the bottle carefully into the goblet she's holding in her hand. "My apologies."

"There's nothing to apologize about," she said simply before bringing the silver goblet to her lips and drank it. Lelouch withdrew to his former spot.

"Hm," the brown-haired man said, "this roasted beef is pretty good. Who cooked it?"

"Euphie, Sire." One of the servants answered.

He smiled. "She's one of the best cooks here. I'm glad you found her, C.C."

"Well, I couldn't ignore a freezing girl in the cold, now could I? Our house is so huge I can even take in more hundred people like her."

"That will save you from doing all the work around here. You have all the servants you need, now you just have to-"

A cough interrupted him and Lelouch flinched. It happened again. It happened too much lately. He could even hear it at night, echoing throughout the empty and dark mansion.

C.C. snatched the napkin next to her and brought it up to her mouth, covering it as a coughing fit didn't spare her from its merciless grip. Her body doubled over and the fit left her breathless and flushing.

"Hey, you're alright?" asked the master as he quickly stood up and was about to dash toward her when she put up her hand.

"I'm fine. Please resume your eating, Suzaku."

He frowned then looked out at the sky through the grand glass window. "It's not too late, I'll get the physician over here to examine you."

She shook her head. "Can that wait till tomorrow? I'm tired right now, I just want to rest."

"Then rest it is. I'll take you to your room, then you'll have the examination first thing tomorrow."

C.C. nodded. Lelouch quickly put down the tray he had been carrying and walked over. C.C. looked up and smiled slightly at him as a 'thank you', because he had always done this, always been there to pull the chair out and wished her a good night, even though she had never required it, the former, that is.

"Good night, Madame C.—"

Just like that. Before he even completed his sentence, she fell down, grabbed the front of his shirt in the process but her grip quickly came loose, and she crashed to the floor.

"C.C!" Suzaku yelled, running toward her and kneeling down, picking up her head. "Hey, C.C.! C.C., can you hear me?"

Turning around to the servants standing by, he practically roared. "Call the physician!"

After that, everything was confusing. People ran everywhere, bumping into each other, despite the unbelievable wide space of the mansion, yelling and calling and shouting. The maids practically flew back and forth between the kitchen and the main bedroom, supplying hot towels and water.

"Where's the physician?" shouted one servant from upstairs.

"He's coming! Luis's already gone to get him."

"Hot towels! Where are the towels?"

"Coming!"

Someone's tugging at Lelouch's sleeve. "Lelouch, will Madame be okay?"

Looking down, he saw it was Euphie, a gentle, long pink-haired girl and also his companion. A look of worry spread all over her face, and her tone filled with fear. Apparently, she was expecting the worst.

"She'll be fine," he answered absentmindedly before returning his gaze at the main entrance. _Where's the damned physician?_

Just as he thought it, a servant burst through the door, dragging a panting middle-aged, long black-haired tied in a pony tail with glasses physician behind.

"This way, Sire!" And he practically pulled him up the marble stairs without waiting for the poor guy to catch his breath.

Lelouch inhaled deeply and ascended the steps. He had to hear, he had to know what's wrong with her.

The door to the bedroom was closed; all the servants were dismissed outside. So it's just the master, the mistress and the physician inside, along with the news he's the going to deliver.

"What're they saying?" Lelouch asked the bunch, to which they all shook their heads.

Lelouch raised a questioning eyebrow. "None of you bother eavesdropping? And no, Rivalz, it isn't a crime."

Walking stealthily closer to the crimson wooden door, he bent down to level with the golden doorknob so he could hear what was being said inside.

Silence, then, "What is it?" The master's voice.

"I'm afraid…"

"What _is _it? What's wrong with my wife?"

"I'm afraid she has pneumonia."

Dead silence. Both inside and outside the room.

"P-pneumonia?"

"Yes, Sir. It's an infection of the lungs—"

"I know what that is! But is there a cure? Please Guilford, tell me there is."

Silence pursued.

"No… no… Impossible… No…"

"What happened? What are they saying?"

By now, Lelouch couldn't understand what the servants were asking. He only gave them blank looks as he pushed them aside to make way for him to descend the steps. Whisperings fell in places around him but he couldn't even grasp a single word. It sounded like a foreign language to him.

"Lelouch, what happened? Is Madame—" Words died in Euphie's throat as she saw his ghastly expression. Bringing hands up to her mouth, she whimpered.

And Lelouch kept staggering to his room.

* * *

><p>"Please God." He prayed desperately with elbows propped up on his bed. "Please let her live. Please. She's a gentle soul, you can't take her away."<p>

"Please," he repeated, voice hoarse.

"God can't help you."

Turning around with alarm, Lelouch shouted into the darkness. "Who's there?" Now, he really wished he'd turned on the lights when he got inside. Who would have thought there would be an intruder inside this greatly secured mansion?

"Don't be afraid, my friend." The voice was so strangely calm. "I'm here to help you."

"Who are you?" he asked again.

A chuckle. "Are you more concerned about my identity or the fate of the woman upstairs?"

_C.C…_ Then he frowned. "How did you know about what happened to her?"

"Because that's why I'm here. I can help you."

Lelouch's frowned deepened as he squinted his eyes, trying to catch a glimpse of the figure standing in the dark. But all he saw was a complete blackness, not even the borderlines of his clothes that Lelouch was sure he'd be able to see since his eyes had already adjusted.

"You can save her?" Lelouch asked incredulously.

"Of course, but you're an intelligent man, you should know what comes after that."

"A catch. What's the catch?"

Silence, then, "Your soul."

"My soul?" Lelouch echoed faintly.

"That may sound absurd to you, but what I'm telling you is nothing but a truth. I can save her life, but in return you will give me your soul."

"Who are you?" This time, the question came out rather weakly.

That chuckle came again. "The least you know, the better. Now do we have a deal?"

"How can I be sure that I can trust you?"

"Because I have never broken my words before. Ever. That's very against my morals. So what do you say?"

How strange that he sounded so sincere and honest, despite the sheer mysterious aura surrounding him. And judging from this guy's tone, it seemed he's running out of patience and time, so Lelouch had to make a decision, and make it quick.

"You will," he began, "you will save her if I give my soul to you?"

"Yes, so we have a deal now, don't we?"

Inhaling deeply, Lelouch suddenly realized how important she was to him, how he would love to see her smile again, though she hardly did, but whenever she did smile, he felt like a significant part of him had awoken inside and was alive again. Also, he'd love to hear her advices. Her useful advices to other people in her soft, cool and lovely voice. Everything would be lost if she was to die now.

"Yes, we do," he said lowly.

That same mystifying chuckle came from the other side of the room. "Very well, Lelouch. Your days are now marked."

"Wait, how long do I have—"

"Everyone, everyone come at once! Madame C.C. is recovering!"

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><p><strong>AN: **Ahh France. I love everything about that country, the language, the customs, the clothes (especially the nobility clothes like the one Suzaku wears in this one have always fascinated me), even the beverages too. And so I thought, why shouldn't I combine my two favorite things together? The medieval France and Code Geass? They sure go great together, to me at least. So, that's how this story was born.

Also, I'd like to say please don't start a religious war just because I put "God can't help you" up there. Some of you, though I hope none because you are too mature for this, may come after me and say "Oh no, God can help you with anything and everything!" Well, sure, since it's your belief but this is just a fiction story, so why don't we just all enjoy eh?

Now, on to the glossary, though there's only one word here lol. **Noblesse Militaire** - a French word, apparently, refers to a person or family made noble by holding military offices. Fits Suzaku huh?

At last, thank you for reading and reviews are of course love!


	2. A

**'**

"Ouch!"

"Watch what you're doing, Lelouch!"

Massaging the red, slightly swollen spot on his right wrist, the raven-haired teen muttered 'Sorry' as he bent down to pick up the heated frying pan that apparently just flew from its comfortable spot on the stove to the stainless white marble floor, which wasn't anymore thanks to none other than himself.

"Geez," Rivalz said, shaking his head in disbelief. "You're always so careful with hot stuff. Now look, we have to scrub the floor again!"

Lelouch threw his friend a look that clearly indicated 'You know what? I'm totally capable of doing that so you don't have to be so grumpy about it'. Instead, he said, "Well, now and then there are days like this."

_Your days are now marked. You will know when the time comes._

The pan almost dropped from his hands the second time had Lelouch not gripped it tighter in the first place. That voice, that mysterious yet clear voice was resonating inside his head once again as if it's playing a constant reminder of his death role. Putting the pan back on its proper place, Lelouch placed his hands on the edges of the stove where no fire would come near with his head slightly bent down.

How strange that he wasn't scare but nervous instead. He didn't know when his time would come or what kind of warning it would give. Moreover, how would he prepare for it? Would he just drop death when the soul was collected entirely? Or would there be signs foreshadowing? God, how he wished that guy would give him more details. Lelouch tried to ask before he completely disappeared without leaving any traces. The moment Lelouch turned around to face him after the news that C.C. was recovering had been delivered, he sensed nothing but darkness. An indication that that cryptic man had already vanished.

"Lelouch?" Rivalz was calling him, pulling him out of his reverie. "Hey, you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. What is it?" Then it hit him. "Oh right, the floor. I'll do it right now."

"No," Rivalz said, pointing toward the tea tray. "We'll be good and clean the floor for you this time. Can you bring the tea to Madame C.C. instead?"

A wave of familiar feeling rushed over Lelouch. Something like longing.

"Sure," he said, walked over and picked up the silver tray that a silvery medium-size teapot and two cups made of the same materials were taking residence upon.

When he walked out to the main lobby, Lelouch was suddenly reminded of how grand and amazing and breath-taking the mansion truly was. With three years living in said mansion, he had sometimes forgotten what a marvelous place it was; no doubt that it definitely belonged to a high-ranked noble. There was the pure, spotless and white marble floor, along with the fluted columns and high marble ceiling. There were also several portraits of well-known though long-dead people hung distantly in the bright lobby that had big glass windows built in, inviting the sunlight to come in and spread over the place, shining upon the silver-framed pictures.

Now that he already reached the crimson door to the main bedroom, Lelouch took a deep breath and opened it. He suddenly remembered he hadn't been in there for almost a week.

The first sight he saw was an elegant form of a woman lying on the bed with deep red-colored sheets. Her lime and silky long hair cascaded down and spread about her beautifully, like a blossoming flower. Her simple white dress only complemented the beauty of her hair and its color. Even though the illness had been torturing her for the past few week, or even months, the slight lively pink color on her cheeks had not faded. Lelouch liked to believe that his bargain last night had something to do with that.

"Good morning, Madame—" He stopped short when he noticed someone else in the room. The master, and he was half-sitting on the bed next to C.C.

How did he miss that? Quickly straightening himself, Lelouch bowed slightly. "Good morning, Sire."

"Morning, Lelouch," Suzaku said, smiling happily. He then pointed toward the tray. "Is that the tea I required?"

"Yes, Sire. Do you want me to prepare it for you or you'd like to do it yourself?"

Glancing sideways at C.C., Suzaku said, "She always loves the way you make tea right? So why don't you do us that honor?"

"I'll be delighted."

As much as Lelouch wanted to ask about C.C.'s recovering, he had to suppress that urge; it wasn't a servant's place to strike a conversation with the master or the mistress.

"It's a miracle, isn't it?" exclaimed Suzaku suddenly amongst the quiet clacking of the silverwares.

Lelouch hesitated. Was Suzaku talking to him or C.C.?

"What is?" came C.C.'s cool yet low voice, as if the sickness was still stubbornly lingering somewhere in her.

"Your recovery, of course," replied Suzaku as he clasped her fragile hands in his strong ones. "It's impossible and incredible at the same time. Even Guliford said— Oh," he suddenly spun toward Lelouch, whom had his back to the couple on the bed and was in the process of making tea, and said. "Have you heard, Lelouch?"

"Heard what, Sire?" came Lelouch's quiet voice as he slowly turned around. It was a custom that servants were supposed to _always_ face the master when being talked to, no matter how busy or occupied they were.

Suzaku's smile was widening. "I guess last night was too late to be announcing anything, so you're the first to hear this," he paused for a dramatic effect then began again. "Okay, when C.C. passed out and I carried her here like we all know. Guliford, the physician, came over and examined her, and he said," he cast a tender look at C.C., whom appeared to be sleeping but both men knew she wasn't, "that she had pneumonia. Honestly, if there were a cure, I'd do anything to get that cure, _anything. _Unfortunately there isn't, and we've all lost hope," he squeezed her hand, "then suddenly—"

_She became well again because of the bargain I made with some mysterious man, _mused Lelouch. His violet orbs traveled to C.C. as his ears tuned out the conversation. He had already known what happened after that. Heck, he even knew _why _she suddenly recovered. Then, to his surprise, she opened her golden eyes and their gaze met.

Lelouch froze as her eyes looked him over and scrutinized him. Out of the corner of his eyes, he could tell Suzaku was still talking and not paying any attention to his strange demeanor, which was a relief. And just as fast as those questioning eyes opened, they closed, and the contact dropped.

"—Isn't it great?" Suzaku concluded, face beaming with happiness.

"Huh? Well, yes, of course it's wonderful, Sire." And Lelouch couldn't help breathing another sigh of relief when Suzaku didn't notice his slipup. Then as carefully as he could in an effort to not show his nervousness, Lelouch turned around and resumed his tea-making task.

Why was C.C. looking at him like that? Why was she giving him that knowing look as if… as if she knew everything?

Good God the tea was done before he could make up any bizarre answers on his own. Bringing the green tea with a touch of honey flavor and a good, healthy amount of sugar to the king-size bed, he cautiously handed the cups to Suzaku, making sure they didn't topple and fall down, spilling all the nutritious and delicious tea on the brown-haired man in the process.

"Thank you, Lelouch," said Suzaku gently as he took the two beautiful silvery cups. "Can you sit up?" he asked C.C., to which she gave a small nod and slowly rose up on the bed. Her eyes once again flicked to Lelouch.

"Is there any tea left?" she asked.

"You want some more?" said Suzaku.

C.C. shook her head. "No, if there is any left, then it's all yours, Lelouch. Go downstairs and treat yourself to a cup." Then she nodded at him. "We're good now."

A nod from Suzaku meant he seconded that. And Lelouch took his leave.

Standing and leaning on the bedroom door, Lelouch tried his best to forget the scrutinizing look that C.C. had given him in a quick minute earlier, but he expectedly failed.

* * *

><p>That night, Lelouch couldn't suppress the urge to groan as the news that there would be a congratulations-on-the-mistress's-recovery party coming up, say, tomorrow afternoon.<p>

"A party, now?" he asked Euphie that night. "When the mistress can't even go five feet from the bed? And it's for her?"

To which Euphie answered truthfully. "It was the master's idea."

Go figure.


	3. Cr

**'**

The Kururugi household welcomed the morning long before dawn did the mansion.

"I hate parties," groaned Rivalz as he dragged his feet toward the kitchen with a sleepy face clearly evident.

Lelouch chuckled. "Better not let the master hear this or you're done." Then he bent down and pulled out all the utensils needed to make a huge amount of food. Setting them on the long, silver table, he swirled on his heels and opened the wooden cabinet underneath the counter to get out some baking bowls.

"Of course you don't complain since you're such an obedient servant," Rivalz said, sulking. "But the ones that will have fun during these parties are not us!" Then he, too, bent down and pulled out ingredients from inside the large cabinet that usually contained flours and rice, all the while sighing.

"Oh? Aren't you obedient, too?" Lelouch asked, quirking up a dark eyebrow at his friend. "If not, then why are you even here in the kitchen instead of lying comfortably in your bed and sleeping?"

"Don't tempt me, Lelouch."

"Now, now, boys, fighting so early in the morning?"

"Morning, Euphie," Lelouch greeted, smiling slightly and forgetting about the comeback he'd prepared for Rivalz.

"I told you to wake me up," she pouted at him while trying to tie the dark silver apron with fading stains onto her puffy light brown dress. "I wanted to be the first one cooking."

"I tried three times but you wouldn't even stir, so what choice did I have?"

"You can shake me, or pour the bucket of water on me. Ah! I was just kidding Lelouch!" she quickly rectified when she saw a glint of understanding and agreement flashing in his violet eyes.

He chuckled. "I'll keep that in mind next time you don't want to wake up."

Rivalz laughed and Euphie stuck her tongue out at the raven-haired teen.

Hours later, the food was ready, the house was nicely and graciously decorated. All the table-cloths were changed to new ones, no sign of stains and whatnot. Everything in its place. The maids replaced all the withering flowers with different kinds of blooming floras, which produced a very nice and captivating scent throughout the whole mansion. Light poured in and onto the golden frames of the portraits. Everything was just perfect, and the party was about to start soon.

"So everyone is invited this time as well, I assume?" asked one of the servants. Now that all their tasks and preparation were done, they were just chilling and lounging in the kitchen area.

"Ahh, all the noble families," replied Lelouch as he studied the guest list that Suzaku had given him earlier. _Even the people I've never met before will be here too, _thought Lelouch.

The servant who had asked the question let out a small sigh. "So this party will last till midnight, just like the last one."

"Don't complain," chided Euphie gently, "this is our job so we should do it without questioning the authorities."

All eyes turned to her.

One maid said, "Geez, just months ago, you were complaining that you couldn't dress up for a party and that you had to work your butt off while they ate and danced away. Now, you said 'don't question the authorities'?"

"Give her a break, Marie," murmured Lelouch. Years ago, he had complained the same thing too, but not anymore.

Just before any of them could say something else, the door to the kitchen opened and stepped in was the Mistress of the house.

"Madame C.C.!" How strange Lelouch was the first one to stand up and address her. The others slowly followed. She nodded at all of them.

"Is everything ready?" asked C.C. as she sauntered toward the long kitchen table and gazed down at the delicious and well-prepared food.

"Yes, Madame," Rivalz's turn to reply. "Everything is set."

She nodded again. Her head was like a bobble head with all that heavy ornaments adorning her long hair, which she had made into a high bun. Her dress was just like any other female's at that time; puffy long dress that touched the ground that seemed to be extremely tight around the waist — that always made him wonder how in the world could anyone breathe and be comfortable in such an attire. Today, she put on a very light pink ball gown with tiny pearls decorating around her high collars and at the end of her long sleeves, as well as around the thin waist.

C.C. was holding a golden folded fancy fan in her pale hand as she walked around and studied the food laid out neatly on the table. Glancing up, she met Lelouch's gaze, "Would you mind bringing these out now, I believe my first guest has already arrived."

The house was as quiet as ever. "How do you—"

The sound of the galloping horse came slowly and distantly. Gradually, said sound was followed by another sound of a carriage's wheels being pulled roughly on the stone pavements. Yes, they had arrived. The other noble families.

Bowing slightly, Lelouch said, "Yes, Madame." And the servants quickly left their former positions and walked toward the long wooden table, each picked up a dish and carried it out to the huge dining room that was lit up brightly by numerous candles in spite of the daylight.

"C.C.!"

She looked up and was met with a long silver-haired woman who was clad in a marvelous silvery dress that matched her worn-down hair perfectly. Only a couple strands were tied loosely into a small braid behind her head. She was strolling toward C.C., a smile plastered on her face.

"C.C., how are you? I've heard you were sick, are you okay now?"

"I'm fine, Viletta," C.C. smiled back, taking the woman's hand and leading her out of the way of the coming servants. "I'm recovering, that's why we're throwing a party, aren't we?"

"That's great to hear, I'm worried sick about you. But it's such a miracle; no one has survived a pneumonia case before, that is."

"That's what Suzaku said as well."

"Oh, darling," another voice said, "you look so pale! Don't these servants know how to treat their Lady?" This sort of high-pitched voice belonged to a tanned and tall woman who looked more Indian than an European. Somehow, Lelouch wondered if she had been born there and came here to make a fortune through illegal means. But that's just a speculation of course.

C.C. looked at the second woman sternly. "They are the best servants anyone could have asked for, so please don't misjudge them, Rakshata." Rakshata just gave a small shrug then applauded when a tray of drinks came to her. "Oh! Grape wine! My baby."

"She never changed," another voice chimed in. This one belonged to an innocent and gentle looking woman with long blond hair that was divided into two loosely-tied ponytails that draped over her shoulders. _Do not let her look fool you_, Lelouch thought bitterly; he had learned that the hard way. Her cool aqua eyes studied the blond Indian before her and she shook her head. Then she, too, took a glass of grape wine and sat down on the red velvet couch and struck a conversation with the other ladies.

Outside, the sky had grown bluer and clearer as time passed. On the stone pavements with green bushes lined linearly around, some pigeons had dived down and picked at some nuts and bread crumbs left for them by the servants who had a secret love for birds, then they lazily hopped over onto the green and well-taken-care-of green grass and stayed for a while as if bathing in the sun before fluttering upward toward the sky once again.

Lelouch couldn't help staring after them, wondering if he would go that path once his soul was collected. Right now, he had no idea how that worked; he didn't even feel any change in his body, even the slightest.

Muffled voices pulled him back to reality and he remembered he had a grand party to serve. Shaking his head, Lelouch proceeded to pick up a dish containing turkey meat loaf and carried it out to the dining room.

Loud voices filled the air. It was hard to think in such an environment, so as much as he wanted to mull over his future demise he was unable to. Glancing this way, he saw Suzaku leaning against a fluted column, chatting away with some knight that he hadn't seen before. A woman came up to them and smiled at Suzaku as she looped her arm into the knight's, whispering something to him, then they both left. As soon as that couple went away, another woman with short and styled blue hair came up to Suzaku and struck a conversation with him. They were both laughing and enjoying themselves and it hurt Lelouch to see that Suzaku didn't even once come to C.C.'s side. It seemed like Suzaku had forgotten he was even married.

"That looks delicious," a white-and-blue-haired man with glasses exclaimed as Lelouch put down the dish and took off its lid. "The Kururugi parties were known for their best food and well-prepared wine," he continued, "no wonder there's so many people here. Too many for my taste though." Then he laughed and took a clean dish on the table and served himself.

Lelouch could only bow slightly and retreated to the kitchen, unable to say anything in return even if he wanted to. It wasn't his place to comment on the Master's parties.

On his way back to the kitchen, he thought he heard someone calling his name.

"Lelouch. Lelouch!"

"Madame C.C."

She gestured with her bobble head. "Can you come here with me for a second?"

He suddenly became hesitant. There was still a ton of load of work to be done, and to go somewhere alone with a mistress without anyone's knowledge was considered a taboo—well, not really a taboo but still, it was almost forbidden, especially when that mistress was married.

As if reading his mind, she smiled. "It's okay. I don't think Suzaku minds." Glancing at her husband who was still too engaged in a conversation with the blue-haired woman, she turned around and walked out of the room toward the garden. Lelouch couldn't help but follow.

Once they were outside, he couldn't suppress the urge to ask the first thing that came to his mind. "Why are you leaving, Madame? Everyone will be worried."

"C.C."

"Huh?"

"Just call me C.C.," she turned around to face him and in the gold illumination of the twilight, she looked so mysteriously beautiful. The ornaments on her hair glistened slightly, reflecting some of the red and gold lights. "C.C. is good enough," she repeated.

Lelouch studied her for a full minute, the nodded. "C.C." It sounded so strange to address her so casually like this but he guessed he could get used to this, given some time. "Where are we going? The Master will—"

She snorted and he quirked an eyebrow.

C.C. reached up a hand and touched her hair. At first, Lelouch thought she was just fixing it, but instead she pulled out the pins and clips and other fancy hair accessories that kept her long hair in place, thus letting her lime waterfall-like locks cascade down to the small of her back.

He sucked in a breath. She must have noticed it, because she chuckled drily. "They're hurting me," she explained and shook her head gently; her long strands twirling around her. Then, fixing her cool golden eyes on him, she said. "I don't think he cares, neither does the rest." And put up her hand as he's ready to protest. "Do you see anyone comes out to look for me yet?" As if to prove her point, she gestured with her hand toward the mansion that the last rays of the bright sun were reflecting off, casting a mysterious and ancient look to it that wasn't so evident during daytime.

Even without turning around, Lelouch knew it was too true to argue. Her husband didn't even notice her get out, so let alone other people. No, scratch that, he didn't even pay attention to her _during_ the party. And it was supposed to be all about her, he realized sadly. Right after her recovery, too. What if she fainted due to the side effects of the medicine she's taking?

"You really don't say much," she observed with a raised eyebrow after what seemed like several minutes and he didn't even utter a single word.

"My apologies, Mad— C.C."

She waved at him impatiently. "Stop with the formalities. It's just the two of us, besides I gave you the permission to speak to me like that."

Still, Lelouch glanced nervously back at the castle. With a sigh, C.C. walked up to him, and suddenly took his arm in her fragile hands and pulled him away. A puzzled gasp escaped his lips. "What-?"

"You don't seem to be comfortable talking here, so let's go somewhere more private and remote, shall we?"

Lelouch knew he just had to protest, just _had to_ say something, but as though a silent force had taken hold on him and he just kept tumbling after her.

Then, they stopped just at the edge of a high cliff not too greatly far from the house that oversaw the wide and blue ocean that was glinting red under the twilight sun. The spectacular sight took his breath away as he stood there, with his Mistress beside him, and drank in the fresh, newly earth air. "It's beautiful," he whispered, staring out at the bright sun descending over the horizon. He didn't get to see this at all from the mansion.

C.C. was sitting down on the damp ground, seeming to care less about her clean dress getting dirty - Lelouch toyed with the idea that the maids and servants were going to have a hell of a job washing the mud off this extremely detailed dress - as she used it as a cushion. Lelouch shifted his gaze toward her as a train of thought rain wildly in his mind. _Where's the aristocratic C.C.? When did she start to act so casually?_

"This is where I always go whenever I need to clear my head," she was saying and he quickly withdrew from his reverie and focused on her, "this is my own special place." Then, she winked at him, or was he imagining it? "Even Suzaku doesn't know about it. You're the first."

"I'm honored," he replied, shifting his gaze back toward the ocean with lazy waves, "though don't you think the Master is going to get mad once he learned that you've been hiding this from him?"

"If he cares enough, he would be here as we are talking," she said quietly.

Silence engulfed them. It was broken occasionally by a chipping of sparrows and Lelouch glanced up to see one sailing by.

Before he could stop himself, the next question came out innocently. "You're not happy with your marriage?" After that, he entered the freezing mode, bracing for whatever reaction C.C. was going to show. _Definitely not a pleasant one, _he thought feebly, not dared to look at her.

A chuckle switched off that freezing mode immediately. "How strange you should ask," she said, turning her head to look at him. Her eyes were a mixture of warmth and sadness. He returned her stare.

Just as he was sure she wouldn't say anything else since a full minute had already passed. Or maybe five? Or ten? He wasn't sure anymore. She spoke, averting her gaze, "It was an arranged marriage. Our parents were good friends with each other, and ever since we were born, it had already been decided that we were to become wife and husband as we grew up.

"I remember the first time I met Suzaku, it was when I was merely six years old, he had already shown his gentleman-ness at such a young age. He also was a very talented fighter; there wasn't a single fight that he had lost. I guess that's why he has earned the Knighthood when only fifteen. Incredible, huh?" The corner of her lips jerked up slightly as her eyes became faraway as if recalling some distant memory, memory that she had once forgotten.

"I knew we would be happy," her voice now had become a whisper. "Of course we would. We were a perfect match… Everything was perfect, even our love…" she trailed off, fingers picking the hems of her pink dress.

Suddenly, Lelouch found it strangely difficult to breathe. He felt like he was gagging.

"I'm sorry," said C.C. abruptly, standing up and dusting off her clothes, seeming to be unaware of his condition. "I don't know why I just spilled out things that I shouldn't have. I didn't take you here for that purpose," she smiled sadly at him. Lelouch fought to stay focused and returned her smile as best as he could.

Then, all the sickly feelings went away. Just like that, went away as quickly as it had come, like the autumn wind that was breezing by them.

"Please don't apologize," he said, regaining his former composure. "Everyone needs to vent sometimes, no matter who they are."

She laughed. "I was venting, wasn't I? Not to my husband but to my servant!"

His eyes hardened as he took a careful step toward her – not too close as to trigger intimacy, but not too far as to arouse coldness – and his voice came out effortlessly softly. "You can tell me anything, C.C. I'll listen to everything you have to say." _I won't neglect you like Suzaku does._

Now it was C.C.'s turn to enter the freezing mode as their eye contact was held firmly. Then, she reached out her arms and without warning, flung herself at him. It wasn't an intimate embrace but more like a reassuring and comforting, friendly hug. And without hesitation, he brought up his arms and wrapped them around her small frame. Anyone who saw and reported this could go to hell for all he cared.

She then stood on her tiptoes and planted a kiss on his left cheek. When she pulled away, her eyes were brimmed with tears. "Thank you," she whispered and turned around, walking away from him toward the direction of the mansion.

Lelouch could only stand there for a long time with his heart throbbing.

* * *

><p>Back at the mansion, the party was still going on as if they had never left. C.C. had come back to her place on the red couch, holding a glass of white wine and talking with the silver-haired woman. Even if she saw Lelouch, she wouldn't acknowledge him. It was reasonable.<p>

What changed was that Suzaku was nowhere to be found at the party.

Just as Lelouch was walking toward the kitchen to get some more wine for the guests, Rivalz called out to him. "Lelouch! Can you go down to the basement and get more sugar, we're running out!"

"Have someone else do it, I have to get the wine," he shouted back. Seriously, why was he the only one in the whole household who had to get the supplies all the time?

"Sorry, but everyone's already occupied." Then, he poked his head out of the dining room, eyes wide with plea. "Pleaaaase?"

"Fine," muttered Lelouch. He swirled left instead of heading straight to the noisy grand kitchen. Well, at least he would find some quiet down at the dusty and dim basement.

Just as his hand shot out to grab the handle, the door opened and came out was Euphie.

"Euphie? What are you—"

He stopped in his tracks when he saw another figure emerge after her. His eyes widened with disbelief as he took in the other's appearance. Male, tall, slim, brown hair, bright emerald green eyes, knight-styled attire…

"Master…"

"Lelouch!" The pink-haired girl was utterly perplexed and flushed to find her friend standing there on top of the stairs. She quickly reached up a hand to tuck a stray hair behind her ear. "W-What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here?" Lelouch repeated dumbly, still staring at Suzaku, who mirrored Euphie's facial expression one-hundred percent. "What _was_ the Master doing down there?" He wasn't completely sure who this question was directed at. But still, the idea of either the Master or Mistress being down at that airless cellar was very unheard of.

"I was helping her get something on the high shelf." It was Suzaku who answered. "There was no one around at that time so I thought I should be lending a hand."

Lelouch still stared at him as if time had frozen for him only.

Suzaku cleared his throat. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to get back." Then he put his brown hands on Euphie's bare shoulders and moved her gently out of the way. Lelouch had already made way without further ado.

When Suzaku was clearly out of sight, Lelouch turned on Euphie at once. "What's the meaning of this, Euphie?" he demanded.

"How do you mean?"

"You know full—"

"Hey, you two! This isn't the time for talking." Someone was yelling from the corridor. "The party isn't going to serve itself."

Not wasting any more second, Euphie fled toward the kitchen, and Lelouch reluctantly went down to the basement with millions of thoughts snaking around his mind.

He didn't see Euphie at all after that.

That night, when the party had ended and everyone went home, returning the silence to the huge mansion that was filled with the bright silvery lights of the high, full moon, Lelouch dragged his feet toward his bedroom and flopped down onto his bed, too exhausted to think of anything. However, before sleep overcame him entirely, he had made a mental note to interrogate Euphie tomorrow, who wasn't sleeping in their room as usual but in one of her friends'.

* * *

><p><strong>Whew, this chapter was harder than I first thought, which is why it took quite a long time, so I apologize for the lateness, but at the same time I'm glad to get it out of the way. Joy.<br>**

**Before I go, I'd like to say something. Someone had asked me about the main cast's age and I realized I didn't even once mention it in the story for there wasn't any appropriate place to insert it, so I'm just going to put it here. Lelouch, Suzaku and Rivalz are seventeen as they are in the first season of the anime - well, basically, the most-mentioned male characters are seventeen, whereas the girls like C.C. and Euphie are sixteen.  
><strong>

**That's it. Thank you for reading and reviews are appreciated!  
><strong>


	4. R

**'**_  
><em>

_She ran toward him, whom had his arms wide open, welcoming her. Her long hair flowed softly in the wind as he picked her up by the waist and twirled her around. A laughter escaped her lips. And he spun and spun. Then, he lowered her, hands still in place, eyes glued to each other. Their faces inches from one another and lips almost touching…_

A walnut hit his head.

"What the?" muttered Lelouch. He sat up and looked toward the direction where the walnut had come from and spotted Rivalz standing in the doorway.

"What's that for?" Lelouch asked.

"Your record is officially broken, Lelouch," Rivalz answered, amused. "You have overslept for the first time!"

The raven-haired teen massaged the back of his head, grunting something. He then glanced toward the window. The curtain had been drawn and sunlight poured in, creating bunches of colorful dots on the white clean tiles. Lelouch didn't remember drawing the curtains.

"So are you going to be out of bed right now or you want another walnut?"

"Okay! Geez, you're so bossy today, Rivalz," Lelouch said. He sprung up from the bed and stared at his friend. "If you don't mind, I have to get dressed," he said flatly, to which Rivalz laughed and waved his hand dismissively. "Sure. See you in a sec." And the door closed.

When Lelouch walked into the kitchen, he was hit by the eerie quietness of the place. No one buzzing around, shouting, bumping into each other. No clattering of silverwares. The only audible sound at all were the whisperings and soft talking of the servants lazily ambling about.

He raised an eyebrow and strolled toward the young brunette standing near the counter, whom seemed to be mixing something in a baking bowl. "Hey, Lisa, is everything okay?"

She nodded without turning. "Of course, why would you ask?"

"Because it's so quiet in here."

The corner of her lips jerked up into a small smile as she answered. "Oh, that's because Madame just came by earlier and said there's no need for cooking today. Afterall, we still have tons of leftovers from yesterday."

Now that last statement made his eyebrow go even higher, touching the hairline. "Leftovers?" he repeated. "The master and mistress are going to eat _leftovers?_"

The brunette shrugged. "It _is_ Madame's idea." Then she lowered her voice. "I'm not complaining. I mean, when was the last time we get to have a free day huh?"

"Hey, Lisa, where do you want this put?" A voice called out before Lelouch had a chance to answer. He glanced in that direction and froze.

So did the voice's owner.

Lisa didn't seem to find a change in the atmosphere so she went on innocently. "Let's put it here, Euphie. I want this cake done before noon."

"Euphie, can you come here for a second?" Lelouch asked politely as he grabbed her arm and pulled her away. His grasp contradicted his tone.

When they got to one of the hallways where golden-framed portraits of ancestors hung neatly on the walls and sunlight shone and reflected off them. Making sure they're out of earshot and free of people, Euphie gently shook herself from his grip. "You're hurting me, Lelouch," she said.

"Well, I'm not letting go until you give me a satisfying answer," he replied coldly. And to keep his word, he tightened his hold on her and she flinched back in minor pain.

"Lelouch…"

"What happened last night? What were you doing down there with the master?"

"N-Nothing."

"Don't give me that crap. Even a retard can guess what you two were up to," he hissed.

Tears brimmed her eyes. She whimpered while futilely trying to shake free. "Then why are you asking me when you already know the answer?"

His grasp hardened to the point nails dug into her pale flesh and she yelped. Tears were now trailing down and she bit back the sobs.

"Because I want confirmation! Tell me, Euphie." He almost shouted. Now, he wasn't sure if he could keep his tempers in check anymore had Euphie kept beating around the bush. He shook her again to get her attention. And the sobs came out.

"Lelouch… I… I'm sorry… I don't… oh God…" She wiped her free hand over her reddened right cheek, but the tears kept flowing out and she kept wiping them, until it was obviously useless to conceal the evidence. It was then that she crumbled to the ground and cried with her face buried in her hand. He let go.

"I'm sorry, I am so sorry, Lelouch… Please… forgive me."

By the time she looked up, he was long gone.

* * *

><p>"Ahh, there you are."<p>

He looked sideways and saw C.C. saunter toward him. She was dressed casually in a white dress with ornaments decorating around the waist and the upper half of the puffy dress. The lower half of the dress had many thin layers, and the thinnest was embroidered with small, blue sapphire gems. Her hair was loosely made into a French braid bun.

"Good morning, Madame," Lelouch bowed slightly.

C.C. frowned at his reaction. "You have short-termed memory, don't you?"

"Pardon?"

"I just told you something important yesterday and now you forgot it," she replied.

Lelouch quirked up an eyebrow as he rummaged his brain, trying to remember that significant bit that she had told him. After a few seconds, it dawned. "Oh," he said dumbly, then cleared his throat. "My sincere apology, let us start over again." He straightened up and smiled slightly at her. "Good morning, C.C."

She smirked. "Much better."

Turning around, C.C. was met with a cool breeze coming from the deep blue ocean below. Its scent was pleasant and fresh and had a tint of salt in it. The sun hadn't fully risen above the horizon yet, which was why it gave off this light, beautiful and mysterious shade of red. It wasn't the deepest color of red that the evening sun showed, but the gentle pink that signaled a beginning of a new day.

The cliff wasn't far from the castle, and there was forest surrounding it. Lelouch could hear the chirping of birds somewhere close by, the rustling of leaves. He had taken the liberty of making C.C.'s peace-spot – that's what she called it – his. With C.C. standing there, everything was perfect. The air was nice, their surroundings fairytale-like. It was as though it were a mere dream, except for one flaw.

Lelouch clenched his fist, unclenched, clenched it again. He had to stop thinking about what just happened at the mansion.

"Are you okay?" C.C.'s distant voice asked him. He whipped his head around, startled. "Sorry?" he said.

She studied him for a split second. "You seem pale," she answered.

"Don't worry about it," he muttered. Then he turned on his heels and was about to bow to her when suddenly remembered his promise. So he held his pose. "I have to get back. You should, too, if you don't want to catch a cold."

The birds were taking flight. C.C. looked at them fluttering away. "Suzaku left before I woke up today," she said. Her long bangs were obscuring her eyes; Lelouch fought the urge to tuck them behind her ears. He waited for her to continue.

She then took a deep breath of the morning air, exhaled, and went on. Her hands clasped behind her. "What will I do if I go back there? Stay in my room or the library? Read? It's cold in there." She turned toward him, shaking her head. "You wouldn't understand."

Lelouch imagined the party from yesterday. The kiss she had given him on the cheek. The sight of Euphie and Suzaku emerging from the dark, dusty basement together, clothes slightly disheveled. Euphie's tears when Lelouch confronted her. The way she trembled, whimpered, begging him to not make her say it. C.C.'s sad eyes and tone.

He felt like his airway was being restricted. He needed to get back fast.

"I have to go," he said dryly, turning around quickly.

"Wait," she called out, halting him almost immediately. When she had gotten his attention, she said, "Do you want to go somewhere with me?"

His legs were screaming at him to continue moving forward while his mind challenged them and demanded him to nod. After a fierce battle, the latter won, and he nodded. "Sure, where are we going?"

* * *

><p>The market was incredibly vacant today. As strange as it may sound, it was the truth. There weren't that many stands around or people walking, bargaining with the sellers. The stands that were there were doing poorly; many of the owners were sitting and chatting with their friends. Occasionally, a few customers showed up, and the sellers jumped right up from their stool, started the bargain right away.<p>

Normally, the market was crowded, there would be hardly any space to walk. Not today, though.

"Why is it so empty?" C.C. asked no one in particular, her brows furrowed.

Lelouch shook his head, saying. "You don't have to do this. There are hundred of servants doing the shopping for you. Besides, you just recovered from a—"

She cut him off with a dismissive wave of a hand. "Please. I'm pretty convinced that illness didn't just go away like that. A physician makes mistake all the time, you know."

_Not this time, _he thought.

"Look!" C.C. was pointing toward the apple stand. She turned back to him, beaming for the first time. "See? If someone shopped for me, they wouldn't be able to pick out the best apples, or apples that I want anyway."

He chuckled. Her love for apples never changed.

"Well, I'll go get the bread then, saves us time," he said while looking through the list. She nodded and hurried away.

Lelouch believed that if she hadn't disguised herself as a commoner, they would be swarmed by other commoners by now. Afterall, she was a royalty, and royalty wasn't supposed to be in places like this.

Just as he was walking toward the bread stand, he thought he saw a dark shadow out of the corner of his eyes. A darting dark shadow. Of course he didn't care. Why would he care about a shadow?

Unless that shadow had everything to do with him.

Lelouch dropped the list, the basket. His knees shook, his hands went numb, even his heart rates accelerated dangerously as if he were suffering a heart attack. No doubt his mind turned blank, and the last thing he remembered was his crashing to the hard ground, eyes tightly shut with hands gripping the front of his shirt.

He didn't even scream.

* * *

><p><em>The grassy field was wet from the last night rain, but he didn't mind. He was sitting on it, staring out at the river below. The flowing, blue river that reflected some of the sun lights and made rainbow in the process. His eyes were faraway; he was deep in his own thoughts again.<em>

_Someone was calling his name. He turned around and saw her running toward him. She was carrying something in her arms. The smile as wide as the river below on her face, and as she got closer, he caught a glimpse of red. A lot of red in her arms. He stood up, grinning, and ran toward her._

"— nothing serious—"

_Voices?_

"He's alr—"

_Whose voices are those?_

"— exhaustion, exerti—"

_I don't recognize them…_

"— wait, he's coming to!"

"Lelouch!"

He forced his eyes to open, and saw two faces peering down at him.

"How are you feeling, young man?" the man with the long straight hair tied into a pony tail asked. A notebook and pen in his hands.

Lelouch's dark eyebrows furrowed slightly, wondering who this stranger was. He had seen him before, but where and when? Long ponytail, glasses, tall… Ahh, it was that physician who had diagnosed C.C.'s illness.

"I'm fine," he answered, surprised at how weak his voice sounded.

C.C. sat down on the bed next to him, her eyes nothing but concern though her pale face didn't show it. "You gave me a scare back there, Lelouch. You just suddenly passed out," she said.

The memory flooded back to him like cold waves of the ocean below that cliff. He remembered now. He had walked with her to the market, and she had wanted to buy apples while he did bread. Then, he saw something out of the corner of his eyes. Something moving rapidly, and within seconds he was on the ground, unconscious.

Lelouch swallowed. He had a pretty good feeling what that _something_ was. It was dark, therefore undoubtedly it was his warrant of death.

Aware of two pairs of eyes studying him, Lelouch cleared his throat and tried to sit up. It was futile because C.C. pushed him back down. "You need to rest," she said firmly, then looked toward the physician. "Will he need medication, Gilbert?"

"I think he will be fine." He glanced at Lelouch. "Just don't overwork yourself, alright?"

The teen nodded slightly.

A small smile crossed the physician's face as he stood up. "Well, I think I should take my leave. If there is anything you need, please contact me immediately, Madame," he spoke, putting the notebook and pen in his black, worn-out suitcase. That earned a nod from C.C.

As he was walking toward the door, he gave Lelouch hesitant looks as if wanting to say something but dared not to; Lelouch returned the stare quizzically. Gilbert stopped for a split second at the door, glanced at Lelouch one last time and walked out. C.C. closed it.

"I told you to-"

"I'm fine, really," said Lelouch quickly as he got up, tucked the blankets in neatly the way it was. He turned to C.C., bowed in spite of the frown creasing her forehead, and made a beeline for the door. Before he stepped out, however, he said without turning to look at her. "Thanks for saving me, C.C."

He hadn't realized how suffocating it was in the master bedroom until he was outside.

Every servant in the household knew about the eventful evening, and they threw questions at him ceaselessly. At first, Lelouch didn't mind because it showed they care, be it genuine or pretentious. But a few hours later, he started to get annoyed. It seemed more likely that they just wanted a topic to gossip. _Oh, Lelouch passed out at the market today, have you heard? Madame brought him home and let him stay in her room, can you believe that? _Those topics. So at the end, he snapped at those who attempted another query.

When night fell and darkness surrounded the mansion, Lelouch dragged his tired legs to the bedroom. He could feel it. The way his body was weakening, the way it was betraying his commands, and he was feeling like a thirty-year-old instead of a seventeen.

And Euphie was the last person he expected or wanted to see at the moment.

She was sitting by her bed, reading a book under the lamplight when he walked in.

"Lelouch," she began, then stopped, bit her lips, looked down at the book in her lap and said nothing.

It was mean but he ignored her and walked toward his side of the room. Flopping down on the bed, he closed his eyes.

A few minutes later, that soft voice said again. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," he muttered.

"You… you're not sick or anything right?"

He turned on his side. "Don't worry about me." His eyes had finally adjusted to the blackness of his side of the room, so now he was staring at the brick wall. He could make out the faint red color of the bricks and the slight gaps. And with a blink, he suddenly saw a pair of blue eyes hidden behind the glasses stare at him. The physician's. They were questioning, and worried? Why should he be worried if he said Lelouch was fine?

That got him thinking.

Euphie was saying something, and he bolted up. She looked startled when he jumped out of bed, walked toward the coat hanger and grabbed his black coat.

"I'm going out for a bit," he said, opening the door and stepping out. Euphie was asking something, and out of the corner of his eyes, he saw her stand up, reach for him, but the door already closed.

* * *

><p>"I must be out of my mind," he mumbled. "I really am."<p>

In front of him was a two-story building. The building itself was old and looked worn-out. He estimated it to be at least fifty years old. It definitely wasn't new compared to the fancy white marbled mansions that the royals were living in. Lelouch looked up at the second floor. It was where the physician was residing, he knew that because the boy who had come and fetched him had told him so.

"Apparently, a doctor doesn't get paid too generously," he muttered under his breath. Then he walked up the broken steps into the building.

The owner of the building was as old as the building itself. He gave Lelouch a curious look, opened his mouth to speak and Lelouch couldn't help noticing that most of his teeth were missing. "I haven't seen you around here, so who are you looking for, young man?" the owner said, smiling friendly.

"I'm looking for a man named Gilbert," he answered, praying the man wouldn't ask for a last name because he had no idea.

"Oh, Gilbert." The owner's smile widened a bit. "What a sweet man. He has been taking care of me, you know. All my sickness of old age, he gives me medicines without charges. What a kind man."

He then gave Lelouch a number and direction.

Lelouch was standing in front of the door marked _117_, wondering what on earth he would say to the physician. Realizing that gluing to the ground like this wouldn't help except wasting his time, Lelouch breathed in deeply, and knocked.

* * *

><p>"What a surprise," Gilbert said with a highly raised eyebrow. "I didn't expect anyone to pay me a visit in the middle of the night." He gestured for Lelouch to come in.<p>

"Well, I have to talk to you. This is important" he answered, lowering himself into a chair opposite the working table.

Gilbert still looked at Lelouch questioningly, then averted his gaze. "Tea?"

"No, thanks."

"So what brings you here? Not another fainting, I hope." Gilbert said, sitting down in the wooden chair behind the working desk that was littered with countless papers and a couple of pens and pencils. He propped his elbows on the desk, intertwining his hands.

Dark eyebrows creased Lelouch's forehead. "If that were the case, I wouldn't be here talking to you now, would I? I'd be in bed and someone else would be in my current position."

Gilbert stared at him over his clasped hands. "You're a smart boy, aren't you?"

"I guess you can say that," he said grimly, then leaned slightly forward. "As you can already guess, I am here for an important business."

"And what is that?"

Lelouch paused, not really sure how to begin. He shifted in the chair, stalling time by crossing his right leg over the left one. Finally, he blurted out. "You were giving me weird stares back there."

The physician quirked up an eyebrow, indicating he had no idea as to what this teen was saying.

"You looked worried," Lelouch tried again. "Why would you if you knew I was fine?"

The eyebrow returned to its former spot on his face, and Gilbert sat back in his chair. He suddenly looked weary. "I don't know," he said at last.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know, it's just… I have a feeling that you…"

"What?" Lelouch's heart quickened.

"Lelouch, have you made a bargain with the devil?"

Silence. The room had turned cold all of a sudden, and in spite of that, Lelouch could feel sweat dripping down his own brows.

A minute later. "What?" inquired Lelouch again, only this time more cautiously and deliberately.

Gilbert was now leaning forward, hands clasped tightly and his eyes studied the young adult across. The glasses glinted in the moderate lamplight. "You know people always say the eyes are a dead giveaway when you want to hide something? In your case, they certainly betrayed your intent," he spoke slowly.

"And what was my intent?"

"To hide the truth. Lelouch, you made a bargain with him, didn't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," said Lelouch nonchalantly. He sat back, trying to conceal the nervousness creeping up his face. So he was right afterall.

Gilbert remained silent for a minute, then reached forward , touched a framed picture that Lelouch hadn't noticed before because of a pile of books stationed in front of it. Gilbert turned the wooden-framed picture around, revealing a smiling face of a young, beautiful woman. Her curly violet hair flowed gently in the wind, and a bouquet of daisies in her arms protectively.

"She was my wife," he whispered.

"You used _was_, past tense…"

"Yes, she passed away last year," Gilbert replied, his eyes now glued to her laughing deep violet ones. Lelouch couldn't help noticing the way pain crossed his face at the mention of it.

"I'm sorry," said Lelouch softly.

Then the physician looked up. "You want to know how she died?"

Lelouch shifted again, unsure whether he wanted to know. Gilbert took his unspoken answer for a yes, and went on. "I was supposed to go home early that day. A rainy, stormy night. But being a physician doesn't have that privilege when a royal needs you. So I stayed late, almost till eleven o'clock to tend to an ill mistress.

"I thought they were going to offer me to stay for the night, given the horrible weather. But no, they sent me home right after, and what choice did I have? I ran home in the rain. It was my wife who welcomed me, brewed me a cup of hot tea to warm myself." The corner of his lips jerked up at the memory. "How ironic. I am a physician but days later, I caught pneumonia." His eyes traveled to Lelouch for a split second then moved away.

"There was and is no cure, so there's only one thing I could do: pray and rest. My wife tried all the herb medicines her mother had taught her but nothing worked. It went on for weeks, and when my body was seriously damaged and only waited for Death to come, I suddenly felt a tinge of hope. That bit of hope turned into something powerful, and that powerful something saved my life. Yes, I recovered out of the blue." His eyes then wandered toward Lelouch once more.

Lelouch forced himself to stop shifting in the chair.

Gilbert reached over and touched the top of the framed picture, turned it around to face him. His thumb gently caressed the spot where her face was. A sad smile creased his lips.

"I recovered," he said, "but my wife turned sick. At first I really didn't notice any change in her. She was as fine as she had ever been, always smiling and full of energy. Then one night, when she was preparing supper, she fainted." A regretful sigh escaped his thin lips. "I still had no idea and thought she was merely tired, so I took her to bed. However, not only did the exhaustion not go away, it worsened. She was so pale and ill that she couldn't even consume liquid."

He looked up at the ceiling and Lelouch wondered if Gilbert was blaming himself for his own ignorance. Maybe he believed it was his fault that she died. If only he hadn't run home in the rain, if only he hadn't caught pneumonia, she would still be here, by his side, now.

"Gilbert-"

"She told me everything," the physician continued, still facing the ceiling. "Before it was all too late, she told me everything on her deathbed." He sniffed.

"Gilbert," said Lelouch, drawing the physician's attention. "She did the right thing," he said softly, smiling a little. "When you love someone enough to sacrifice yourself for them, you don't feel regret or remorse. If at all, you feel blissful. I believe that's what she felt all the time, so you shouldn't blame yourself; she certainly didn't want you to."

Gilbert's eyes connected with the teen's for a full minute, as if trying to read the hidden message behind them. Lelouch didn't once look down. Then, Gilbert returned the smile warmly.

"I had my suspicion," he said, "when Madame C.C. recovered all of a sudden. I'm not the type to believe in coincidence but inevitable instead. I had thought it was the Master who had made the contract. But after the event this afternoon, I now know who did."

Lelouch leaned forward, elbows propped on his knees and hands pressed together. "You won't tell anyone, will you?" he inquired cautiously.

Sitting back and crossing one leg over the other, Gilbert nodded slightly. "You have my promise. But would you mind if I asked you a question?"

"Not at all."

"Why did you do it? It's apparent to me that you love her, but why? She's of noble birth, and you commoner. It will never work out."

"She's not of noble birth," Lelouch blurted out before he could clamp a hand over his mouth.

Gilbert quirked up an eyebrow so high it touched his hairline. "Oh?" he said.

Sighing and raking his hand through his raven locks, Lelouch realized his gravest mistake. What's more, he couldn't back out of it. Had he been talking to a moron, he probably would have, but this was an intelligent man, a doctor. What he had said was equivalent to a written memory, there was no way out beside telling the absolute truth. The truth he had buried for as long as he could remember.

"Can I trust you?" he asked, suddenly feeling drained.

Gilbert nodded. The eyebrow hadn't returned to its former spot yet.

Lelouch sat back, shifted one last time and crossed his leg, hands on his lap as he was preparing to tell a long forgotten tale.

"It was a long time ago, a time that _she_ probably doesn't remember anymore…"

* * *

><p>AN: I don't think they had pizza in the 15th century, so if I put it in, it will be sort of out of place, which is why I settle with apple instead.

I am not abandoning this story, but it may not be updated as often or quickly, so my deepest apologies :( Though of course, I'll try my best to work on it, given I have other projects to focus on right now.

Thank you so much for reading and being patient! Reviews are love :)


	5. I

**'**

_The house perched on top of the grassy hill, surrounded by complete nature, isolated from the busy and noisy city._

_Inside, there were many kids milling around. Couple of adults stood nearby, chatting away with others._

_In a corner, a young girl clung onto a boy's hand, gripped it hard, and whispered, "Onii-sama, who are they taking?"_

_His eyes glued to the two neatly and nicely dressed adults. Their attires were those that he had occasionally seen before. So gorgeous, bright, and rare._

_He returned her grip. "Rosaline," he whispered back._

_The corner of the girl's lips jerked up into a small smile as she nodded. "I'm happy for her. Do you think she'll come back to visit us?"_

"_Of course." He lied. All orphan kids would never want to go back to this place. Never. "Of course."_

_Every once in a while, a few rich couples who weren't blessed with children of their own came here to adopt one. They would scan around as if the kids were merely fancy jewelries on display, pick the best-looking, usually quiet ones, took them home, and they never came back._

_He was almost picked once._

_A lanky woman with a beautiful face and flowing silvery blond hair had smiled, pointed at him, whispered something to the director. And before he knew it, she intertwined her hand with his and pulled him away from his crippled sister._

"_No!" he had shouted, backing away, toward his younger sibling._

"_Lelouch, you have to understand-"_

"_I'm not going if my sister isn't!"_

_She left with another kid instead._

_That was a long time ago, and he had made it a point to not go anywhere without his sister. They either picked them both or none of them would leave._

_And that was the problem, because normally people, rich or poor, only wanted one child for the moment. Having two might prove to be a challenge, especially when one was disabled._

"_You should go," his sister had said one night when they were lying on the beds, facing each other. "You shouldn't worry about me. There have been many people who picked you but you always turned them down."_

"_I'm not going without you," he said firmly, then reached over to grab her hand. She returned the squeeze slightly._

"_Don't let me burden you." Even though she tried to conceal it with her already and forever closed eyes, he could still see and feel the tears building up behind them._

"_Hush, go to sleep." She sobbed. He could only squeeze her hand tighter, whispering good things to her._

* * *

><p><em>He had met her on one summer day.<em>

_Lelouch stared at the soup in front of him, all appetite lost. How could he eat this thing? Just a golden-colored liquid with tiny strips of meat and celery and a few tiny shrimp. Thin slices of carrots and potatoes floated here and there in the soup._

_The chef walked around, pouring each of the kids a glass of milk. That's it. That's basically their lunch._

"_Onii-sama," his sister said, smiling at him and pointing toward her mouth cutely. Lelouch fought the urge to throw the bowl at the chef's head._

"_You don't want to eat this, Nunnally," he whispered, one hand played with the spoon. "It's disgusting."_

_Nunnally frowned. "They're feeding us the best they can, onii-sama."_

"_I know, but still they should give us more nutrition than this!" A light bulb came off in his head._

"_If anyone asks, just tell them I'm in my room, tired and sleeping," he said quickly, looked around to make sure no one was watching, stood up and crept toward the door._

_Nunnally was shouting something amongst the loud chattering noise but he couldn't hear her._

"_Let's see, mushroom, mushroom, where are you?" he mumbled after walking around the woods for ten minutes, looking for edible fungi. He had searched around all the tree trunks, but so far no luck._

_They got to be somewhere here, he thought patiently, it's a forest after all._

_That's when he heard a scream._

_Whipping his head toward the source of the sound, which was the East, he made a run for it. The scream had stopped but he got a pretty good idea where it had come from. It was around the place he had just ventured into._

_He was getting closer, he could feel it because the scream had reduced to countless grunts, and said grunts were getting louder._

"_Hey, you're okay?" he shouted as soon as he burst through a thick cluster of leaves, and froze._

_A young girl, probably his age, five or six, was sitting on the ground. A woven basket thrown on the side, spilling out whatever it was inside, and she wasn't paying any attention to him. At first, her pose struck him as odd because her legs were bent and tucked under her skirt. Her hand kept rubbing a spot at the ankle while the other seemed to be trying to pry something open._

"_Hey, you're okay?" he repeated, walking closer with caution. When he got close enough, he sucked in a breath._

_So the awkward pose wasn't her fault. She had to sit like that because one of her legs was caught in a bear trap._

_Now, she looked up. Her golden eyes were calm and bright despite the grim situation._

"_Help me," she said through gritted teeth. Red blood oozed from the wound._

"_Stay still," he advised and bent down, examining the trap. What a cruel thing, he thought, feeling sorry for all the animals that were unfortunate enough to be caught in this._

_He bit his lip, not sure how to undo this thing. For a six-year-old, it's a bit too much. He was considering calling an adult but that would get him in trouble as well for ditching lunch time and going somewhere unsupervised. There's only one option left for him, really. Save the girl and go back like nothing happened._

"_What are you doing in the forest alone like this?" he couldn't help asking, all the while thinking how to get her foot off without severing it completely._

_She pointed toward the basket lying abandoned on the side. He followed her finger and noticed something poking out of it._

"_Mushroom?" he asked, surprised._

_She nodded. "The food is getting really bad so I figured I needed to have more nutrition than what they're offering," she reasoned._

_He looked taken back, and she seemed confused._

"_What?" she asked._

"_I've been looking for those but couldn't find any. Now I know why, you took them all," he said, chuckling._

_A frown creased her forehead. "It's not my fault that you came too late," she mumbled, then grunted.  
><em>

"_Alright," Lelouch said, tugging at the trap. She gasped in pain. "I'll try to get your foot out. I'm not going to lie, it's going to hurt but at least you can still keep it in one piece," he said. That earned a nod from her. She braced herself, shut her eyes and bit down on her lip. He could practically see blood flow out from the pressure._

"_Okay, here I go," he muttered, and snapped._

_Another scream echoed the forest._

"_For God's sake! What happened?" The nurse said in utter surprise at the sight in front of her._

_A boy was carrying a girl in his arms. Her legs were all bloody, and so was a small part of his shirt. He was breathing hard and she was sleeping._

"_Please, help," he said urgently, walking toward the nurse who was rushing toward them. She took the young girl from him, settled her down on one of the cots in the nursing center._

"_Keep your hand here," she said quickly, advising him to press his hand down on the ankle's wound. He obliged._

_The nurse practically sprinted to the cabinet embedded in the wall on the opposite side of the room, eyes ran over the labels on the medication bottles as quickly as lightning, and she took out the one she needed._

_When she got back, more blood oozed out from the wound. The girl whimpered. Sweat was dripping down her brows._

"_We need to treat it fast," said the nurse. "I think she got infection."_

_Lelouch stared with wide eyes. Infection?  
><em>

_Professionally, the nurse grabbed a roll of white bandages, unwound it, cut off a large portion with the scissor Lelouch had handed to her. Holding it in her mouth, she rubbed the liquid of some sorts on the wound. A red liquid, which made the blood darker, almost like black. She then spread it, looked at the clock, murmured something under her breath, and wrapped the bandages around the ankle tightly. At last, she cut off the remainder._

_The clock struck 2 in the afternoon. The nurse exhaled._

"_She's going to be fine," she said. The nurse reached into her pocket, pulled out a towel to wipe her hands. When she's done, she threw it in the laundry bin and looked at Lelouch dangerously._

"_Now, Mr. Lamperouge, would you mind telling me what exactly happened?"_

_Lelouch was playing with the hems of his shirt, eyes glued to the ground. What could he possibly say that wouldn't get either of them in trouble?_

_The truth sounded pretty good at the moment._

"_Well, I was just-"_

"_It's all my fault," came a thin, raspy voice, and two pairs of eyes turned._

_The girl was awake. Sweat was lingering on her forehead. Her eyes a bit glazy, clothes were all dirty from the small adventure and her face was a shade of pale white. But other than that, she seemed fine. _

"_It's my fault," she repeated, earning a raised eyebrow and curious look from the nurse. "I went into the forest to get some mushroom." Lelouch was then hit with realization that they had forgotten all about the mushroom back in the forest. "I got caught in a trap but managed to get myself free, so I limped home. That's when that boy noticed me and helped me get inside. I guess I must have passed out by then," she finished._

_Silence filled the room. _

_At last, the old woman sighed, folded her arms, and spoke. "I should have punished you for your disobedience, but seeing that you've already punished yourself, I guess there's no need for that anymore." She then smiled thinly. "As a reward for speaking the truth, however, I am going to make you some mushroom soup, would you like that?"_

_Lelouch smiled. The nurse had always been a kind person. _

_The girl returned the smile warmly. "I'd love that."_

_Nodding, the woman walked away. When she passed him, however, she touched his shoulder. "And as a reward for being caring, I'm going to make you one also."_

_Lelouch laughed. "Thanks."_

_After the door closed softly behind her, Lelouch whipped his head around and was met with C.C.'s gaze. Her eyes weren't so hazy anymore, and colors seemed to be returning her face. The small smile had never withered._

"_Thanks," he said._

"_For what?"_

"_For saving me. She wouldn't be all nice if I told her exactly what happened."_

"_Well, you got to be sly sometimes to get what you want," she said, winking at him._

_A smile creased his lips as he walked closer to her. One hand reached out to touch her bandaged ankle, he gently caressed it as if it were an expensive, one-of-a-kind, fragile gem. He had thought he could have everything under control. It didn't turn out quite like what he had planned though.  
><em>

"_Thanks," she whispered._

"_For what?"_

"_You know." She frowned cutely, and he laughed._

"_Don't mention it."_

"_I didn't get your name," she suddenly said._

_He looked at her squarely in the eye for the first time. His deep violet eyes connected with her golden ones as he answered, "Lelouch Lamperouge."_

_She grinned. "I'm C.C."_

* * *

><p><em>At the end, he didn't eat the soup; he had sneaked it to his sister instead.<em>

_That night when darkness surrounded the small, old mansion and the only audible sounds were the creaking footsteps of adults walking around, checking up on the kids._

_The night was cold. There was little tiny flakes taking residence upon the window glasses of the huge bedroom that consisted of more than twenty children, though each had his/her own small bed._

_Nunnally was shivering cold and she asked the nurse if her brother could sleep with her tonight. The nurse had nodded._

"_Are you sick?" whispered Lelouch worriedly, lest he should wake the other kids up._

_She shook her head, gripping his hands in hers. "I just don't like the cold," she answered._

"_Neither do I."_

_Silence fell as he was softly singing a lullaby to her._

"_Onii-sama?"_

"_Yes?"_

"_The soup was great." Even in the darkness, he could see her smile. _

"_I know," he replied, leaning forward to kiss her forehead. She squeezed his hands tighter._

"_Promise me you will never leave me, Onii-sama."_

"_Never, ever, Nunnally. If I did, God can take my life right away."_

_Little did he know that he would be breaking that avowal eleven years from now._

_Suddenly, the door creaked open and the sound of shuffling footsteps was heard._

"_Are you sure you don't want to spend the night there?" one of the nurses' voice said.  
><em>

"_I'm sure," came a familiar voice, and Lelouch's ears perked up._

"_Very well. Good night, dear." And the door creaked closed. Sound of shuffling footsteps were getting closer to the siblings._

_Lelouch sat up. "C.C.?" he said._

_The sound stopped. The figure turned. He could distinguish those golden eyes anywhere. He smiled._

"_Lelouch?" she asked uncertainly._

"_Yeah. They let you out?" he asked, drawing away from Nunnally, who was now sitting up, and got off the bed to walk toward her._

_C.C. was looking at the girl beside him, then nodded. "They had to after I threw a tantrum. I wasn't going to spend a night in that creepy place."_

"_Creepy place?"_

"_Didn't you hear all the rumors about it? They said ghosts haunt that center because there was a kid that died there a few years ago."_

_Nunnally gasped. Lelouch quickly reached over to touch her shoulder._

"_I don't believe in that stuff," he said firmly. "It's just made up."_

_C.C. shrugged. "You'll believe when you see it. The ghost, I mean."_

_His eyebrow quirked up. "You saw it?"_

_Suddenly, she stiffened for a second, looked away, shuffled her feet, and said at last. "No."_

_He could feel Nunnally relax a bit, so did he. "Good, then there's nothing to worry about."_

_C.C. turned back to him, looking annoyed. "Anyway, I didn't know you slept in this chamber."_

_He walked toward her, grabbed her wrist gently and tugged her along with him back to the bed where Nunnally was sitting on. "I can say the same thing about you. To think that we stay in the same room for five years yet never know each other."_

"_Four years for me," both C.C. and Nunnally chimed in. They glanced at each other._

_Lelouch chuckled. "C.C., this is my sister, Nunnally. Nunnally, this is C.C., the girl I've told you about."_

"_Nice to meet you, C.C.," Nunnally said, smiling brightly._

_C.C. studied her for a minute before saying. "Why are you closing your eyes?"_

"_She's blind," Lelouch answered. There was a harsh edge to his tone that made C.C. flinch a bit._

"_Oh, I'm sorry. Nice to meet you." She managed a smile though she knew Nunnally couldn't see it. It was more like an apologetic one for Lelouch.  
><em>

_Nunnally didn't seem bothered at all by the question. In fact, her smile widened. "Thank you for the soup, by the way. It was great."_

"_It wasn't me who cooked it."_

"_But you picked the mushroom, didn't you? Onii-sama told me everything," she giggled._

_C.C. looked at Lelouch, who shrugged. "I also told her about the trap," he said, smirking playfully._

_C.C. resisted the urge to smack him on the head. The story was already too embarrassing to tell the nurse, she didn't want anyone else to know, especially a kid._

"_It was an accident," she murmured, and earned chuckles from her newly made friends._

* * *

><p><em>The next day, C.C. learned that Nunnally wasn't able to use her legs.<em>

"_Lelouch, look!" called a voice from a distance away. He looked up from his reading._

_Usually in the afternoon after the children had been fed properly, the orphanage director and a couple of nurses took them outside to the grassy hill behind the building. There, they'd run, play hide-and-seek, sit under the trees, form small circle of friends, sing and talk. And the adults always stood at the entrance with a watchful eye on them._

_Lelouch often picked a spot farthest from their supervision._

_Right now, he was sitting under a huge cherry tree with a book in his hands. Leaning on his shoulder was Nunnally, who appeared to be captivated by the story he's telling her. There was a small smile on her lips when he finished the tale.  
><em>

"_Lelouch!" the voice called again, this time closer._

_He looked up and saw C.C. run toward them. There was something in her arms. Lots of it, and it's so red. A bright shade of red that at first he thought was blood. He suddenly became alarmed._

"_Hey you're hur…" The sentence was left unfinished as he saw what was in her tiny arms._

_Apples._

"_There were a lot of them over there," she gestured with her head toward the forest's entrance. Her shoulder-length green hair flowed in the wind gently. "I picked them all," she grinned, settling down with them._

_Nunnally stirred by the noise. "C.C.?" she asked._

"_Here," C.C. shoved a ripe apple into the girl's hand, who gasped at its coldness. "Try it."_

_Then she handed Lelouch his share._

_Nunnally circled the apple with her hands, brought it up to her nose to smell it. "It smells sweet," she giggled, biting into the fresh fruit. Since her brother hadn't said a word nor prevented her from eating it, she'd figured it shouldn't be a problem._

"_Delicious!"_

"_Told you. Fresh apples are always the best," answered C.C. after swallowing a mouthful of it._

_Lelouch was examining the apple, tossing it up and down in his hand. He became aware of C.C.'s curious stare after a minute._

"_Sorry, it's just…" he began slowly. "We're always together and alone. We don't fit in with those kids over there. There's no one we can actually get along with."_

_Nunnally had stopped eating and was playing with the stalk._

_Lelouch glanced at his sister before speaking again. C.C. had already guessed the real reason why they couldn't get along well with the others. It's not like she should be the one to judge anyway._

"_It's always just the two of us, so it's kind of strange to share our daily routines with someone else," he finished slowly.  
><em>

_Without thinking, C.C. placed her free hand on top of his. He didn't flinch. "That's what we call 'friends.' We have each other now, and that is enough." She smiled. "We'll be together forever."_

"_You'll be our friend forever, C.C.?" Nunnally asked timidly._

_C.C. nodded. "Of course, that's a promise. Now eat your apple, Lelouch," she chided playfully._

_Lelouch could feel the corner of his lips jerk up as he bit into the fruit. Its freshness washed over him. Seeing his expression made C.C. giggle. Soon, Nunnally joined her._

_Lelouch wished time would freeze, and the three of them would stay this way forever. Would always do things together. Would always share food together. Would always remain by each other's side. C.C. was the first friend they had ever had since they were brought into this world, and he would love to cherish this moment. With a smirk, Lelouch realized that maybe God was smiling on them after all. Maybe they _could _stay this way until the end of time. Just the three of them and that was enough._

_How could he have been so naïve?_

_Spring was the last season they shared together._

_Nunnally was taking a nap in the chamber. This season was beautiful but it brought forth with it a mild irritation: allergy. And since the young crippled girl was allergic to pollens and Lelouch, being such an amazing brother, had forbid her to go out until the season passed._

_She loved him but that didn't mean she liked it, however she knew better._

_That evening when Nunnally was still curled up in her bed, the chef served supper. Most of the kids were playing by the fireplace with any nurses that were available. The old, kind nurse set up the table, placing bowls, spoons on the white table sheet, while the orphanage director was sitting at the nearby desk, writing a letter addressed to a noble. The room was lit up brightly by candles._

_The old nurse counted the number of bowls under her breath. Little did she know there were two kids missing at the moment.  
><em>

_Lelouch had whispered into C.C.'s ear earlier that day, asking if she wanted to skip dinner to go somewhere with him. She obliged happily._

_He had stolen a small loaf of bread, a handful of grapes, while she had stood up on her tip toes and taken down small bottles, poured some milk in them. Then they ran out to the field via the back door, all the while giggling and panting._

_Lelouch glanced over his shoulder. He couldn't see the mansion very well from where he was. All he saw was a bunch of golden dots lining the edge of the field. So they were eating supper right now and still had no idea about what happened. If they did, a search party would be out by now._

_He then looked down at the small girl leaning against him. Her head rested on his chest with one hand held the apple in her lap. Her eyes closed and there was a small smile creasing her rosy lips._

_He could feel a smile of his own creeping up. Lelouch cleared his throat, shifted the book slightly and began reading again. "So that's when the princess realizes…"_

_The air was fresh, the sun was sinking under the horizon but there was still more than enough light for another reading. They were sitting under a huge chestnut tree with leaves rustling above their heads._

_C.C. bit into the apple, pressed herself further against him. He could smell the faint jasmine scent of her lime hair._

"_Lelouch?" she said._

"_Yes?"_

"_Do you think we're prince and princess?"_

_He chuckled. "Why would you think that?"_

_She pondered for a few seconds. "Because we're abandoned. What if we were born royal but our parents didn't want us so they sent us here? We will never know our family history."_

_Lelouch shifted uncomfortably. That thought had crossed his mind occasionally but he never delved into it, always buried it before it got a chance to surface. This time, he didn't have that luxury._

"_I don' think that's possible," he answered slowly. "If they were rich, they would never abandon us." He had always believed that the sole reason his parents left him and Nunnally here was because of financial issues. That happened a lot in this time period._

_C.C. had stopped eating, her eyes now open, and her fingers playing with the apple's stalk. "What if we're unwanted? What if we're not… supposed to be born?"_

_He could feel her small frame shuddering against his chest and knew right away she was weeping._

"_Shh," he whispered softly. Without thinking, he bent his neck slightly to kiss her on the forehead. That only made her cry harder, and he squeezed her shoulder. "Don't talk about this anymore, okay?" said Lelouch._

_Her small arms laced themselves around his waist as she buried her face deeper into his chest. Her tears soaked through his white shirt. He didn't stop her; he let her cry. This was the first time he witnessed a girl who wasn't related to him cry so openly, and he had no willpower to stop those stubborn tears._

_Wind was breezing about them, sending dead leaves scattering around._

_Her soft wails echoed in the cool evening wind._

_C.C. didn't know at what point she had fallen asleep. Lelouch had no idea when dream started to consume him. The only thing they both remembered was that they woke up in each other's arms._

_The sun had mostly disappeared behind the horizon, only the last dim rays shone weakly, illuminating the trees, the huge chestnut and the two small figures lying beneath it._

_Lelouch sat up slowly, his left arm ached so much from the pressure C.C.'s head had put on it but he never complained. He just absentmindedly massaged the sore spot while the green-haired girl yawned, wiped her sleepy eyes and looked toward the sun. "It's gone," she announced._

"_It's time we got back," said Lelouch as he stood up, dusted off his pants, then bent down to pick up two bottles and the plastic bag that had once contained a loaf of bread. _

_When he noticed C.C. was still sitting there, eyes glued to the sinking sun, the half eaten apple abandoned completely next to her, he couldn't suppress his curiosity. "What is it, C.C.?" he asked._

_She turned toward him, hair flowed softly in the breeze. Her eyes calm and cool as she spoke, "Will you keep my crying a secret?"_

_He jerked up an eyebrow._

"_I don't want anyone to know I have ever cried. I don't want to show them my weakness." She shook her head, gestured toward the mansion. "You can't survive in an orphanage that way."_

_He knew right away what she meant, so he nodded. "Of course I won't tell anyone." Then he smiled, offering her his free hand. "Shall we get back now?"_

_She took it, smirking, "Yes, we shall."_

_It was dark when they were getting back. Lelouch couldn't help wondering if anyone had noticed their disappearing yet, or if Nunnally was concerned about their late return. He had told her he'd take C.C. out to their spot today, but of course that wouldn't stop her from worrying, would it?_

_Another thought crossed his mind. If they did notice that they were gone, what kind of punishment was lying in store for them? Lelouch had to shake his head to get rid of that thought. Breaking curfew was one the most hideous crimes in an orphanage._

_They were getting closer to the mansion, the light coming from it was getting brighter with each step they took. With C.C.'s hand in his, Lelouch suddenly didn't feel scared anymore. If they were to punish them, at least these two kids would have each other and not be alone. That single thought was comforting enough that it made Lelouch smile a little._

_Suddenly, she yanked him back forcefully._

"_What?" he asked, surprised._

"_Look!" She was pointing at something to her left and Lelouch followed her finger._

_She was pointing toward a cluster of bright golden light near the bush. He squinted his eyes and his smile widened a bit when he recognized the light._

_Fireflies._

_It was almost dark and this was usually the time fireflies flew out of their nest to the wilderness, which was the forest near the orphanage._

_C.C. let out an excited squeal and took off running. None of their kids were supposed to be out after curfew, which was right after four o'clock, after which the nuns had already taken them out to the field. The adults had said that it was dangerous to be out even though the sun barely set behind the horizon. That was why it was a strict rule that every child remained inside and under their supervision for the rest of the day._

_This was one of the very rare occasions that Lelouch and C.C. could see fireflies upclose._

_At first, Lelouch was taken by surprise and astonishment at the beautiful sight before him that he hadn't noticed the girl next to him was no longer beside him. Instead, she had started running toward a cluster of bright lights circling at the entrance to the deep forest._

_Something was boiling inside his stomach, yet he couldn't quite put his finger on it._

"_C.C.," he called, running after her. "Wait up!"_

_She laughed and tossed him quick glances over her shoulder. "Come on, Lelouch!"_

_He was panting as he tried to catch up to her. His breaths came out as puffy white smokes in the chilly evening air. He wished he had worn thicker, warmer jacket._

_Then, just out of the blue, it hit him. His eyes widened in fear, and his pace picked up automatically._

"_C.C.!" he yelled. "Stop!"_

_The space between them was growing further. She was still giggling; he could hear it clearly in the air. Her mind was distracted. Her main focus was to get to that captivating, illuminating light. The slope was getting deeper._

_She was running toward the cliff. _

_The worst part was she didn't know it. What made it worse was that he knew yet he also knew he couldn't stop her in time._

"_C.C., stop! It's dangerous!" he shouted. He stumbled a bit. His legs were getting shaky, his lungs were ready to explode due to excess exercise, but he had to go on. He had to stop her no matter what._

_She tossed her head around one last time, a grin split her face. "Hurry-"_

_Just like that, she disappeared from his sight._

_Lelouch froze. His brain went into shock and surprise that it actually forced his legs to stop. He stood there for a few seconds before his brain kicked back into gear, and he took off running. Fast._

"_No… no… C.C.!"_

_Lelouch skidded to a stop near the cliff. Mosses and small jagged stones were everywhere. A willow tree was rustling in the wind nearby, making a sound almost identical to a wail, as if it were mourning for a great loss._

_He fell down on his knees and searched the bottom of the cliff with wild and frightened eyes. His once bright violet orbs had now turned dark and filled with fear and anticipation._

_But he couldn't see anything. The sun had almost fully set behind the mountains, so it gave off weak, thin strips of light. No matter how much he squinted, he couldn't get a clear visual of what's happening down there._

_Lelouch reached down further with his hands, though still managed to stay balanced on his knees, squinted and tried to get a clearer sight. It was futile._

"_C.C.!" he yelled into oblivion. No response._

_Panic was creeping up his spine. Million thoughts were crossing his mind at once. Was she dead? Was she lying there injured? Should he get help? Should he venture down and see how she was? Should he run back and tell the adults?_

_Even though the last option could land him in great trouble, probably the greatest, it seemed so logical and frankly the only one that made sense and could actually pull both of them out of this mess they had created._

"_Wait there, C.C.," yelled Lelouch again, not sure if she was listening, "I'll go get help. I'll be quick so just wait there!"_

_Just as he was about to spring up to run back with full speed, he heard a soft galloping sound in the distance._

_Being a kid and all, Lelouch got curious so he crouched down to get a better look and at the same time hide behind the tall green bush._

_A white horse was pulling a small carriage made of wood behind it. Its driver looked ready to fall asleep, but he suddenly snapped back to attention and jerked the reign on the horse, making it skid to a stop almost immediately._

_Lelouch's heart almost skipped a beat._

_The driver quickly got off his seat, jumped down and walked toward something in the middle of the road. He bent down, examined it. A few minutes later, a man dressed in rich, magnificent clothes stepped out of the carriage, followed by a boy looking to be Lelouch's age. The light was getting weaker with each passing second, so Lelouch couldn't get a better look at the newcomers than he had earlier._

_However, he could hear perfectly well._

"_What's the matter?" asked the big noble. Lelouch knew he was because of his attire and the way he had a personal driver, as well as a beautiful white horse. Regular commoners undoubtedly could not afford such luxuries.  
><em>

"_Sir, you should come and take a look at this," replied the driver respectfully. Ahh, so the man was well-known and respected._

_A couple of shuffling footsteps. Then, "Oh God," uttered the noble in a low and grim voice._

"_What should we do, Sir?"_

_The man took a moment to contemplate. The air was heavy and it felt like there were steel hands clasping around Lelouch's neck, choking him. He could hardly breathe as he waited for the man's answer. That very answer would conclude everything._

_Finally, he broke the silence by saying, "Take her back. We should have a doctor tend to her wound."_

_Lelouch's world shattered. He slumped back on his butt, his eyes wide and he swore he could feel his cheeks getting warmer, though he had no memory of crying._

_The driver picked up the girl gently, letting her head rest on his chest, and walked toward the carriage, all the while muttering, "Would you look at this wound? It's horrible…"_

_The noble man opened the door wider so his driver could place C.C. inside the carriage. They then exchanged a few more words before the driver went back to his former spot._

_Lelouch couldn't help noticing the boy his age was staring at the interior of the carriage, not moving an inch. _

"_Suzaku?" The man broke his reverie, and he looked up. _

"_Is she going to be okay, Father?" he asked._

_The noble sighed, ushered him inside and said, "I hope so, son. I hope so."_

_Then, they went off far into the distance. Lelouch couldn't remember much after that. All he _did_ remember was that he had been sitting there, glued to the damp ground with wet green grass, staring at the carriage that was gradually disappearing. Even when it was no longer within sight, he still sat there with blood-red eyes. Eyes that previous were heavily brimmed with tears._

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **I sincerely apologize for the lateness and irregular updates of all my stories. It's just that life has been pretty crazy and busy lately that I haven't had enough time to do anything, let alone sit down and write. But I could promise you this, I'll make sure that this little story meets its finale, so please just bear with me! Thanks for reading :) Reviews would be loved and appreciated.**  
><strong>


	6. F

Lelouch's body ached so much that he kept tossing and turning in bed then it eventually succumbed. The fragile boy sat up abruptly in bed, forehead sweating furiously, and all the efforts to contain those endless coughing fits went down the drain.

He coughed like there was no tomorrow.

"Lelouch? Lelouch, are you okay?" Euphie's voice echoed somewhere in the dark. He couldn't even see clearly. His eyes were blurry from the coughing fits, his hands covered his mouth and hid body doubled in turns. Lelouch tried to use all of his willpower to suppress the fits. They were so loud he was sure everyone in the household would be woken up, especially _her_. What would _she _say if _she _were to see him like this?

Lelouch could feel movements about him, yet he couldn't stop his body from shaking and the fits from coming.

A warm hand placed on his shaking shoulder and a worried voice echoed around his ear. "Lelouch, what's the matter? Do you want me to fetch the doctor?"

Wanting to say no but unable to, Lelouch quickly grabbed Euphie's wrist, earning a surprised gasp from her, and shook his head vigorously.

"But you sound terrible!" she protested. "I think you've caught a flu, Lelouch. At least let me go get the master."

_No!_

Lelouch was glad the room was dark because he was sure his face was as bright red as a ripe tomato now. He used all of his lasting willpower to push the fits down for the moment. Clearing his throat loudly, he said in a hoarse voice that was very unlike his.

"It's not a flu, Euphie. Don't worry about it. I'm sure it's just a mild cold that will go away tomorrow."

Managing a smile that he knew she couldn't see, Lelouch tightened his grip around her small wrist to ensure her of the faux truth in his voice.

No, the illness would never go away. His days were numbered.

Euphie spoke next. Her voice was reluctant. "Alright, Lelouch. But if this carries on for another day then I'll have to inform the master."

"Right."

"You promise you won't stop me?"

A pause.

"Lelouch?"

"I promise."

Slowly letting go of her, Lelouch withdrew back under his blankets while Euphie went back to her own bed. One last coughing fit hit him before it finally released its iron grip on him.

Lelouch reached up to touch his burning forehead and felt something wet.

_Am I really sweating this much?_

At that moment, the moon lent the room its bright light and Lelouch saw for the first time the result of his bargain with the Devil.

His palm was stained in the color of dark red.

* * *

><p>Outside, the birds were singing in the tree and the sun was bathing the whole mansion in its brilliant light.<p>

Inside the grand master bedroom, a young beautiful green-haired woman was sitting in front of a mirror framed in gold, and brushing her long, silky hair.

Behind her, sitting in one of the chairs beside the curtain-drawn, tall glass window was her husband, the Duke. He was leisurely sipping his morning tea while reading the newspaper.

"Suzaku," she spoke softly. Her bright golden orbs were studying his reflection in the grand mirror.

"Yes?" He didn't look up from his paper.

"How long have we been married?"

"What kind of a question is that?"

"Just answer me."

A quick pause. "Is it almost three years?"

Her hands didn't stop their combing movements. "Not _almost. _Exactly three years."

"Oh."

"Yet you never once mentioned raising a child."

Now, he looked up and stared at her reflection. Her eyes were passive and void of emotions. His were full of curiosity.

"_You _never talked about it," he said after a beat.

"This is not something I can decide all on my own, Suzaku."

"Well, do you want a child?"

"Do _you_?"

A beat passed before Suzaku stood up, put down the paper and walked toward her. Gently placing his brown hands on her pale, slender shoulders, he bent down slightly so that his eyes were on the same level as hers and their cheeks were inches apart.

"C.C., we're still young," he said. His minty breath caressed her soft, rosy skin and C.C. bit back a sigh. "There's plenty of time ahead of us to raise a child. Having kids is a big responsibility, you know, and with you being all sickly and just recently recovering from an illness, we want to take things slowly."

_You just don't want a child right now… or at all._

"After all, we're not even 20 yet." He let out a soft chuckle before leaning in to plant a light kiss on her cheek. "There's still plenty of time."

"Is that so?" C.C. hadn't realized she had stopped combing her hair.

"I love you and we'll discuss this later tonight when I get back from work." Suzaku straightened up, pulled out his favorite pocket watch to study the time. "I should be going now. I have an appointment with the King in about an hour."

"Be safe," she said before returning to her previous task.

Suzaku nodded, grabbed his gloves on her dressing table and went to the doors.

Even after he was gone, C.C. could still smell a faint scent of a woman. This scent wasn't from expensive perfume or any perfume at all. It was just a natural scent of a growing woman, such as that of a blossoming flower.

* * *

><p>"If we lived so close to the city, you'd scare everyone within a five-mile radius with your cough."<p>

Lelouch let out the last of the coughing fit, pulling out his handkerchief to wipe his mouth only to notice half of it had been painted with red. He quickly shoved it in his pants' pocket.

"Milady," he said, turning around and awarded her with a smile. Beads of sweat were breaking furiously on his forehead, his pupils probably dilated beyond normality and he prayed to God she wouldn't notice.

"I'm sorry I scared you," he said while bowing slightly.

She gave him a look-over. "Are you alright, Lelouch? Do you wish me to fetch Gulliford?"

"That's alright, Milady. It's just a silly cold that will go away soon."

"I hope so. We don't want you to disrupt our peaceful slumber at night, do we?" She smirked at his slightly raised eyebrow. "I'm just kidding."

"How are my favorite flowers doing?" she asked, nodding toward the bushes of roses, tulips, lavenders, lilies, and geraniums adorning the hedges of the wide, well-cared-for garden.

Lelouch, with a water can in his hand, turned to regard the sight. A smile graced his features as he spoke, "They're blooming, Milday. Very lively, very beautiful. Incomparable."

C.C. walked past him to approach the shrubs. Bending down slightly, she carefully caressed a rose bud in her hand and spoke with her back to him. "Beautiful, isn't it? Makes you wonder who wouldn't be attracted to it."

"Anyone without a taste in beauty," he replied, chuckling softly.

"But do you think the attraction will last?"

Lelouch pondered it for a second. "I guess that depends on whether the flower truly fits the person's preference. What's your favorite type, Milady?"

"C.C."

"Pardon?"

Even now, she was still speaking with her back toward him. "I'm granting you permission to call me C.C. at the moment."

"Right… C.C." _How long has it been since I was able to say that aloud, C.C.? _"Among all these flowers here, which one do you like best… C.C.?"

C.C. straightened up, clasped her hands behind her back and Lelouch got a feeling that she wasn't even looking at the flowers anymore. "Lavenders. They're my favorite."

"Why is that?"

A pause, then she answered, "Because lavender represents love and devotion, purity and tranquilization. What's yours?"

Without meaning to, Lelouch took a couple of steps forward so that now he was standing mere feet behind her.

"Lavender," he spoke softly. "For all the reasons you've listed."

_Also… Lavenders… The place where we grew up, C.C., was full of it. We used to go to the fields to look at them together… along with Nunnally. Lavenders… I remember you told me that one day you hoped you'd find true love, like the flower's symbolism. That's why it's your favorite, right? I asked but you never told me… You only laughed…_

"Lavenders…" C.C. repeated, then chuckled slightly to herself. "I suppose this should be Suzaku's favorite flower instead of sunflower."

That took Lelouch off guard. He blinked and awaited her elaboration. When it didn't come, he initiated.

"Master Suzaku likes sunflowers?"

"Such a manly preference." She was chuckling again. "But it doesn't fit him, you see. Because a manly man will not go around and hide his true feelings."

"I-I don't understand."

Suddenly, she turned around to face him. If their intimate distance surprised her, her face wouldn't show. A small smile lit up her beautiful face and Lelouch thought he saw droplets of tears around the corners of her eyes.

"He's found love… true love, but it's not with me. You see, Lelouch, we didn't marry because of love. His father…" C.C. took a deep breath before continuing. "To tell you the truth, I don't have any recollections of my childhood. All I am aware of is that I've been living with the Kururugi family for as long as I can remember. His father was like my own. His mother was like my own. Him… Suzaku was like my brother… We loved each other but it's more like a siblings' love.

"When we reached the legal age to be married, his parents paired us together. After all, we're not blood related and we're each other's best friends. We loved each other. What his parents didn't see was that we didn't want to marry each other. We didn't want to be tied by this unfaithful bond, but what could we do? So we married."

C.C. turned her back to him again. The wind carried her soft sniffling back to him and not being to reach out to comfort her ached him so much that all of his willpower was lost and he succumbed to the illness again.

Coughing fits hit him relentlessly. Doubling over and coughing into his hands, his _wet _hands, Lelouch knew he didn't have long. _A week's probably too generous.._.

"Lelouch! Lelouch! Someone help! Lelouch, stay with me. I'm ordering you to stay with me!"

Her voice was the last thing he heard before darkness closed in.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **I am sooo incredibly sorry that this story had gotten on hiatus for such a long time :( But it's back! Don't worry, I am not abandoning this story or any of my ongoing stories, they're just taking quite a while to be updated... Honestly at first, I didn't know how to continue this particularly stubborn baby so I had to push it aside. Now, I finally got a direction for it and that is why I'm changing the rating to T. You'll soon see, so please be patient with me :) Well, I know you guys have been very patient and I love you for that. I thank all of you who have favorited, alerted and reviewed this story. Even though I might not individually reply to every single review, just know that I do read every one of them. Bottom line is, I thank all of my readers who are still reading and appreciating my stories despite the time that has passed. I sincerely appreciate it :D Thank you guys and much love!


	7. Ic

"That was the second time he's passed out!"

_Voices…_

"Well, winter is coming and his body is trying to cope with the changing weather-"

"Don't give me that, Gulliford. You know full well with your medical experiences and knowledge that this isn't normal."

_Voices… C.C.?_

"Milady, I can guarantee you that this medicine will make him better. He won't pass out again."

"Can you be absolutely certain? Because the next time he loses consciousness, there might not be anyone around."

A pause.

"Milady?"

_C.C… Gulliford… Gulliford… No… Don't… tell… her…_

"What?"

"I-I have a question I want to ask you. It's kind of… well, personal, and sort of crossing the line so please you don't have to answer. Or if you deemed it unworthy to answer, just tell me to go right away, and I promise I won't ever bring it up again."

"What is it, Gulliford?"

"I've been a physician for almost twenty years and I've served so many nobles and been to so many upperclass households, but this is the very first one in which I've witnessed a lady of the house caring so much for her servant."

Another pause.

"Do you find it odd?"

"Well, to be honest, Milady, I do."

"Why are we here, Gulliford?"

"Pardon?"

"What are our purposes on this earth?"

"Well, that…"

"…Depends on who we are, correct? Some people are born with a purpose, with a goal, direction. Some people are just born to be there, to be porcelain dolls put on pedestals, but those porcelain dolls might come to life if there is someone who comes by to breathe life into them… Gulliford, I'm in the latter group."

_C.C…_

"Milady…"

"What if this medicine doesn't work?"

"It will, Milady. You have my words."

"Let him rest for now. I will summon you again to have a thorough check on him when he awakens."

"Hm, do you mind if I stayed here while he rests, Milady? Just in case his fever soars again, I want to be here in time to subdue it."

_What do you want, Gulliford…?_

"Sounds good. Summon the maids if you ever need anything."

"Thank you, Milady."

_C.C… We really are a pitiful pair…_

**x**

**x**

"Fever's slowly doing down. You'll be fine, Lelouch."

Groaning, the raven-haired teen slowly, groggily opened his heavy eyelids. They felt like lead. Even breathing was hard, as if iron hands were squeezing his bronchi, and each breath he took felt like a dagger was stabbing his lungs.

It hurt so much just to perform basic function that he wanted to die right then and there.

Suddenly, someone touched his eyelids, pulling them up and shone light directly into his eyes. It didn't bother him but he felt strange. Then, the light was gone.

"You're okay now. Come on, let's take two pills first. Then one for each day."

"Gulliford…"

"Yeah?"

"Do… do you really think pills will work… in my case?"

The physician was in the process of pouring water from a jug to a glass and the question halted him immediately. Droplets of water slowly dripped down into the glass.

"Nothing… can help me now… You know that… You tried-"

"I did!" He slammed the jug down onto the table rather forcefully, startling the teen. "I-I'm sorry, Lelouch. I don't know what came over me… I just… I'm sorry. I guess I lost it." He put the glass back onto the table, took off his glasses and massaged the bridge of his nose.

"I tried, Lelouch." Gulliford's voice was cracking a bit as he spoke. His face was well hidden behind his hand. "I tried everything to save her. All the medicines that I know of, all the herbs, everything. I didn't even sleep, I didn't even eat. I used up all the time trying to come up with a cure, and you know what she told me? She said, "Gulliford, I'm sacrificing my life for you to live. Please do that for me, honey.""

"I'm sorry…"

"You don't know what it's like, Lelouch, to be the one left behind. It's painful. It's a living hell. I'd be happy to join her any moment but I know she doesn't want that. She wants me to live, and we'll meet again in due time. Just not right now." He replaced his glasses. Evidence of tears formed around his eyes. "That doesn't mean I'm not living in hell right now. Not a day goes by where I don't think about her and her smile and everything she's done for me, and I wonder what I did to deserve someone like that."

Lelouch was looking sympathetically at the older man. His violet orbs reflected the latter's unfathomable sorrow.

"She doesn't remember." Lelouch's voice was barely audible. "It's better that way. To her, I'm just a mere servant. When I'm gone, she'll be sad for me but it won't last long."

"That's where you're wrong, Lelouch."

The raven-haired teen's eyes widened.

"I know true love when I see it. I experienced it. The way she looks at you, the way she panicked when you passed out. Lelouch, you have made the gravest mistake."

Silence. Suffocating silence filled the room.

"You… You won't tell her, will you?" he choked out.

"Lelouch…"

"Promise me." For a sickly, fragile boy, his voice was too determined and aggressive that Gulliford had no choice but to concur.

"I promise."

Lelouch put his head back down on the pillow and let out a tired sigh. "Good…"

"But Lelouch, what do you want me to tell her when you're not getting better but actually getting worse?"

The teen closed his eyes and said, "I'm leaving."

"You are?"

"As soon as possible. Probably two days from now. I don't have that much time, and-" He coughed. "I don't want her to be more worried than she is now. Getting myself fired is the best option."

"What if she goes looking for you one day?"

"She doesn't know where I live. The address that I gave her belongs to the orphanage where we grew up. Even if she went there looking for me, she won't have any recollection of what happened."

"Does she know about your sister?"

"Yes."

"So does she… know about _that_?"

"No." Lelouch opened his eyes at last, coughed some more while Gulliford looked painfully at his patient. Lelouch turned slightly so that half of his tiny smile was visible to the physician. "You see, Gulliford, I've already lost everything. I couldn't afford to lose her, too."

* * *

><p>The next morning, Lelouch opened his eyes to the sounds of happy chirping of the birds. It was early, he could tell, for the light outside gave off a dull shade. Blinking, he tried to remember where he was because the surrounding and the mattress beneath him didn't feel familiar. Some shuffling sounds next to him attracted his attention.<p>

"Gulliford?" Lelouch said, a bit surprised.

The physician was putting his medical supplies into the brown leather bag that he always carried around. At the sound of Lelouch's voice, he turned his head and regarded the teen.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Better. Still dizzy but I'll live."

"There's nothing else I can do," said Gulliford as he turned back to his task. "I'll leave the medicines here in case the lady inquires." He glanced sideways at the teen. His eyes were hard and set. "But like you said, pills don't work here," he finished coldly.

Lelouch sighed. He tried to sit up.

"What are you doing?" inquired Gulliford.

"I can't keep lying here, which brings me to another question: how long have I been out?"

"You weren't completely out. You came to and left for countless times. But if I had to answer your question, I'd say three days."

"Three days?" Lelouch looked puzzled. He sat up and strangely enough, his body obliged. "I can't stay here any longer," he said, sounding alarmed, "my days are counting down. I don't know how long I have!"

Gulliford uttered a loud sigh before moving to help the raven-haired teen get out of bed, and as he helped him change into new, fresh clothes laid neatly on the night table, the physician mumbled under his breath, "Foolish people."

**x**

**x**

"Are you absolutely certain you're okay and won't require the help of the physician any longer?"

It was still not the time for breakfast; outside, the sky was painted with the color of light gray as if a storm were coming. But there wouldn't be any storm or rain or hail. Lelouch didn't know why he knew that but he just knew. It was like the sky was crying for his fate, for _their _pitiful fate.

Even though it was still early, everyone in the household was already up and about. The maids and cook were in the kitchen preparing the foods for the day while the master and his lady were sitting in the drawing room, sipping jasmine tea and talking quietly when Lelouch and Gulliford made their entrance.

"Thank you for your concern, Master, but I'm fine now so the presence of the physician here won't be necessary," answered Lelouch.

"I see. Well, if that's the case then you're dismissed, Gulliford," said Suzaku. "Thank you for your service."

Gulliford bowed his head. "Anytime, Master Kururugi."

"Lyfter will pay your fee at the door," C.C. said. "I trust that the next time we summon you, you'll be available as you always have been."

"Of course." Finally, Gulliford straightened up, threw Lelouch an unreadable look before showing himself out.

Lelouch realized that he should excuse himself as well.

"I'll be helping out in the kitchen," he said, on the verge of turning on his heels.

Before he could do that, however, C.C. spoke up, "No, I want you to attend to the garden."

"But we have Harriet for that," said Suzaku, a bit surprised. "Come on, C.C., the poor guy just recovered and you want him out in the cold again?"

She crossed her arms and raised a delicate eyebrow at him. "Oh darling, now you care about the well-being of our servants?"

"Of course I do!"

"Harriet doesn't know how to handle flowers properly, or rather he can't handle them elegantly enough." She huffed. "Last time he touched those flowers of mine, a lot of them withered and died."

Suzaku raised both eyebrows at her. "Are you sure you're not imagining this?"

"I'm sure." Her voice was so cool and confident that her husband almost gave in.

Lelouch chose that moment to speak up. "I'll do it. I'm sure I'll just be an extra in the kitchen right now."

C.C. turned and smirked knowingly at him.

**x**

"Am I being selfish right now?"

Lelouch put the china cup down on its mat and shook his head. "No, you're not."

"We're just having tea, right?"

"Of course."

"That's good." There was a faraway look in her eyes as she looked deep into his. The little girl that he knew was still there, somewhere deep inside this woman waiting to be awakened again.

They were sitting inside a gazebo framed by well-trimmed vines. Outside, the wind was gusting about gently.

"Is that jacket good enough?" she asked.

"Yes, it's very warm." Lelouch smirked. "What would Suzaku say if he were to see me wearing his jacket?"

C.C. rolled her eyes. "I doubt he'll know it's his. He has too many to remember which is which. If he saw you, I'd just say I bought this for the servants just in case and never knew it would come into handy until today."

Lelouch chuckled. "Right."

C.C. was playing with the handle of the beautifully carved china cup. "Lelouch… I'm not… I'm not cheating on my husband, right?"

The question caught him off guard entirely that he merely stared at her unblinkingly.

"I'm just having tea with a friend. That's not wrong, right?"

"C.C…"

"Tell me."

Lelouch shook his head and managed a slight smile. "It's not," he said softly. "I'm just a friend that you confide in. Nothing more, nothing less."

"You're right." She chuckled. "You're my only friend here."

_Are we really friends or are we more than that?_

"After all…" C.C. trailed off. _After all, he cheats on me… But I can't be like him… I can't stoop that low. _"After all, you're very easy to talk to," she finished.

"Am I?"

"You give off that cold exterior but deep down inside, you're a caring person, aren't you?"

A small smile graced his handsome features. "I'm not sure about that last part."

"So you're saying you don't care about anything or anyone, then?"

"For the people I love, I'll do whatever it takes to protect them. For the rest, they can go die for all I care."

She laughed lightly, covering her small mouth with her hand. "How harsh. So, Lelouch, what group am I in? Those you care about or those you don't?"

Lelouch closed his eyes. When he opened them, he looked deep into her bright golden orbs and the subtle smile was back. "You're in neither," he said.

C.C. blinked. "Neither group?" She leaned slightly forward. "So what I am to you?"

And he just smirked, shook his head, continued to sip his tea and remained silent.

"That's not fair!" she protested when he didn't elaborate further. "Tell me, Lelouch. I'm commanding you to tell me."

"Your order is revoked."

"You can't do that!" She stared at him hard. Her green brows were furrowed together and she bit down on her lower lip in a fashion that she always did whenever she's not getting what she wanted. Lelouch just smiled.

Then, it happened. The coughs were back.

C.C. was out of her seat in a second and was kneeling next to his doubling body. "Lelouch?" she said. When he glanced over, all he saw in those mesmerizing eyes was unfathomable concern.

_No… I can't keep worrying her. Stop this, Lelouch. Stop this!_

"Did you take your medication?" she asked. Even anxiety seeped through her voice.

Suddenly, he grabbed her hand that was placed on his shoulder, earning a small gasp from her.

"C.C…" He wheezed, squeezing her hand. To his pleasant surprise, she returned the act. "I'm leaving…"

Outside the gazebo, the wind picked up its pace and made a howling noise.

Inside, C.C. felt like the world stopped. Lelouch felt like a dagger pierced through his heart.

**x**

**x**

C.C. hadn't spoken a word to him after that unexpected announcement.

Everytime he tried to make eye contact with her, she looked away quickly. Those times where their eyes briefly, accidentally met, Lelouch thought he saw bitterness bordering hatred in her beautiful golden orbs. He understood where the feeling came from, however. He was leaving her. At least in her eye, her best friend in this lonely world was leaving her without a decent excuse.

"_You what?" she had whispered that moment._

_Lelouch coughed into his balled fist. When he looked at it, a small, perfectly round and beautiful red droplet was there on its surface. Hiding behind his long bangs, he smirked bitterly._

"_I'm leaving," he repeated, wiping the blood away on his pants._

"_Why? Is it because of your sickness? I told you that you don't have to worry about anything. It's all done."_

_Lelouch took a deep breath. "It's not about my sickness."_

"_Then what is it?"_

_Outside, the wind had become stronger. Lelouch hadn't realized that dead, dry leaves had been twirling gracefully around them._

"_It's my sister," he said at last._

"_Your sister?" C.C. blinked. "Nunnally?"_

"_Yes."_

"_What's the matter?"_

"_Nothing. I just want to spend more time with my sister, that's all."_

"_Well, then just bring her to the mansion. I'm sure one more servant won't make a difference."_

_Lelouch was slightly taken aback. He hadn't expected her to be so amiable and… welcoming for a lack of better word._

"_She… she doesn't like the city. She hates the noise. We've always lived in a quiet suburb and she wants to keep it that way."_

"_But this place is quite isolated, don't you agree, Lelouch? The closest we have to a neighbor is approximately three or four miles away. There's no noise, no strangers coming up to you pretending to be friendly. This will be the perfect place for Nunnally. Tell her that, Lelouch. Tell her she's welcome here," C.C. said firmly._

_Shaking his head, Lelouch spoke quietly. "It won't change her mind."_

"_Have you tried?" Her voice was becoming more impatient and it made his heart ache. He coughed some more._

"_Yes," Lelouch said between gasps. "I did. She just won't budge. She's a stubborn girl." He chuckled weakly._

_A pause._

"_I suppose that runs in the family. Nothing will change your mind now?" C.C. said softly._

"_I'm afraid so."_

"_Then so be it." _

_C.C. stood up, straightened out her gown and started to walk in the direction of the mansion. Cups of tea and the teapot were forgotten on the table._

"He's leaving?" Suzaku said in surprise over dinner. C.C. had dismissed all of the servants so now it's just her and the Duke.

"But he's not fully recovered yet. What's going to happen to all his medications?" he asked.

C.C. poked at her food. "I'm going to have them sent to his house. That way, he can continue them until the sickness is completely gone."

Suzaku picked up a glass of red wine and took a sip. "His sister, you say? The reason why he's leaving?"

"Yes."

"Why now? It's so sudden."

"Indeed."

C.C. looked up at her husband who was leisurely sipping wine.

"Did you know?" she began. "Euphie agrees to leave with him?"

Suzaku's hand stilled immediately. The rim of the glass hovered an inch from his lips. It probably took him only a mere second to recover, but for C.C., it was like an eternity was stretched before her.

"Why's that?" he asked quietly. His bright emerald-green eyes were now hidden behind his bangs.

"Why not? After all, Lelouch's her mentor and her best friend here. It makes sense that she'll want to go with him."

Suzaku didn't say anything. It was like he even forgot that he's holding a glass of wine.

"Suzaku?" C.C. called.

He cleared his throat. "Yeah?"

"I was just kidding."

Now, those beautiful eyes came out of hiding and stared at her.

"I was just kidding about Euphie but Lelouch's leaving for real." C.C. picked up her own glass of wine and took a big sip from it. She downed it in just seconds.

C.C. could feel her husband's eyes pierce through her through the transparent glass.

**x**

**x**

"Why do you have to leave, Lelouch?" Euphie asked him that night when Lelouch was packing. He stopped on more than one occasions to cough. It hurt so much, and every time a fit came, Lelouch thought he was going to explode and die. He was sort of glad that the suffering was coming to an end.

"I have to, Euphie," he said with his back to her. They were in their room with Euphie sitting on her own bed while Lelouch was putting clothes into his suitcase on the other side of the room.

"You can just take Nunnally here like the lady said," she said.

"I told you Nunnally hates these things. She prefers a quiet life with her brother. Is that a sin?"

Euphie frowned slightly and bit on her lip. "No, of course not… But why now? After all these years… Why does she want you now?"

"I don't know. She gets lonely, I guess. It's just me and her, you know."

"Yes, but…"

"Euphie." He turned around to face her. The candlelight in the room gave off an eerie illusion. In the dark corner, Lelouch was sure _he _was watching with a satisfactory smirk on his face. The deal was coming to an end, they both knew that.

"Let's not talk about me. Let's talk about you," said Lelouch.

The light flickered a bit. Euphie blinked, confused, then it dawned on her and she shifted uncomfortably on the bed.

"Lelouch... Let's not-"

"The lady gave you a home when you had nothing. She took you in when you're at your worst. When you were freezing in the cold with only a thin dress on, with nothing to eat or drink for days. Did you forget that?"

"No! Of course not!"

"Then why?"

_Why _had always been the most difficult question to answer. Right now, its difficulty magnified tenfolds.

"Why, Euphie?" he pressed, stepping closer to her. "Why are you betraying her trust?"

The pink-haired girl was crying. Her small shoulders shook violently with each sob. Her face buried in her pale hands. Her whole body trembled.

"_Why_?" Lelouch raised his voice. At last, he grabbed her shoulders, earning a loud gasp from her, and shook her. Looking deep into her eyes, he wanted to hear the answer straight from her heart. He wanted to believe that answer.

"Because I love him!" she gasped. Tears were streaming down freely, relentlessly on her face. "I-I love him and he loves me."

Lelouch's hands stilled on her shoulders.

"They ne-never love each other." She sobbed and cried. "He said it's an arranged marriage. They were best friends… Even the love they had back then is gone now. The marriage destroyed it…"

"_We loved each other but it's more like a siblings' love… We didn't want to be tied by this unfaithful bond…"_

"_What choice did we have?"_

"_I don't have any recollections of my childhood…"_

"I truly love him, Lelouch," Euphie was saying, drawing him out of his reverie. "But I won't do anything to jeopardize their relationship."

"You've already done enough," Lelouch said quietly as he withdrew. Suddenly, she reached up to grab his hand, earning a raised eyebrow from him.

Her round, deer-like purple eyes were trained on his. The tears had stopped but their evidence was still there on her glossy skin.

"Lelouch," Euphie began carefully, "I'm leaving soon."

"What?"

"I have to because… I'm… I…" She took in a deep shaky breath.

"I am pregnant with his child, Lelouch."


	8. C

_We really are a pitiful pair, C.C… No matter what we do, we can never be happy._

_Happiness is forever beyond our reach. The time we spent together at the orphanage was when I was happiest. I wouldn't trade it for the world. I would do anything, everything… I would even sin to get back those times…_

_Us together again… _

_Those memories… I will take with me to the place I'm going… Hopefully, in the next life when we somehow meet again, I'll remember you and you'll remember me… We won't be a pitiful pair anymore… We'll be together again… Happy and happy… Forever and ever…_

Lelouch opened his eyes. It wasn't bright but it wasn't dark, either. The place he was lying on felt cold and rough. Last time he checked, his bed wasn't this bad. He also heard some rustling sounds that resembled those of the swaying trees in the wind.

Most of all, he felt cold. So very cold.

_Where am I?_

Lelouch realized he was lying sideway so when he blinked he saw his hands first. They were dirty. They were dark. Bringing them up to touch his forehead, he felt hot and sweaty. Glancing down at his clothes, he saw he was still in his pajamas from last night when he had that conversation with Euphie.

Slowly and cautiously, Lelouch stood up and he almost fell back down again.

Stretching out before him was the soiled earth behind the mansion. What was he doing out here at the break of dawn? And why was he so dirty and covered in dirt?

Then, he saw the shovel. His eyes moved about and he saw a small mound of earth.

Then, it all violently flooded back. Lelouch did fall back down this time.

"_I'm sorry…"_

_He felt scratching on his hands._

"_I'm sorry."_

_He felt hot tears streaming down his face._

_He heard her weak, whispered words. She was calling his name. She was begging him to…_

_His hands moved and the white cloth around her pale, small neck tightened._

_He could feel more scratching. Her body jerked slightly against his. _

_The cloth never released its iron grip and the tears never ceased falling._

_Her whispered words were becoming more inaudible. "Le…"_

"_I'm sorry."_

"_I'm so sorry."_

"_I'm sorry…"_

_Her head tilted backward. He could smell the strawberry scent on her long, flowing pink hair._

"_My…"_

"_I'm sorry."_

_The cloth tightened its grip._

"…_child…"_

"_I'm sorry."_

_Then, it was all over._

_She went limp in his arms, and he remembered sobbing and sobbing and sobbing. His cries were muffled in her bruised neck._

_He remembered thinking, _C.C. will have literally nothing and no one after I'm gone now that Euphie's pregnant with Suzaku's child, he'll want to keep her around even if she desires to leave. _That thought alone inspired him to act, to commit the deed of evil, to sin without fear so that she could be happy._

Lelouch was rocking back and forth with arms wrapped around his knees. Tears were once again trailing unresistingly down his dirtied face.

_I'm so sorry, Euphie…_

**x**

**x**

"Lelouch?" At the sound of his name, the raven-haired teen automatically responded by turning around and was face-to-face with the master of the house. The last person he wanted to see right now.

"Yes?" Even his own voice sounded foreign to him.

Suzaku glanced around as if to make sure no one was in the vicinity. He turned back to Lelouch and said, "Have you seen Euphie? She's supposed to bring me my morning tea but I haven't seen her, and it's not like her to be late."

Lelouch felt the earth had opened up and swallowed him. He felt hands tightening around his neck. Worst of all, he could hear her sobs. He could smell that familiar strawberry scent floating about.

"No I haven't," said Lelouch emotionlessly.

"Oh, is that so?"

"Actually…" Lelouch began, and Suzaku blinked. "There's a message she wanted me to relay to you and the lady."

**x**

"What were her exact words?"

The room's temperature probably went down a couple of degrees at that moment because Lelouch felt cold to the bone and he thought he saw C.C. shiver a bit, regardless of how flickeringly fast it was.

Suzaku's back was to both of them. His hands were carefully clasped behind his back and the bright sunrays had his face hidden away. His posture was stiff and reserved that even C.C. was looking at him curiously, though Lelouch could guess she already had the whole thing figured out.

"What were her exact words?" Suzaku repeated in an even voice and Lelouch cleared his throat.

"She said that due to familial circumstances she had to leave unexpectedly. She regretted not being to tell you in person so she wished that I would deliver the message."

"In the middle of the night?" C.C. said.

"Yes. She got the letter quite late," answered Lelouch.

"What letter? I thought they did delivery in the morning only," said Suzaku.

"That's true, sir, but like I said before, this was a special circumstance regarding her family."

A pause that was interrupted by C.C.'s small sigh.

"That's a lie."

Suzaku's words caught them both off guard that they remained silent for a while, and it was his wife who broke it.

"How do you figure that?" she asked.

"It's just…" Suzaku seemed struggling for words. He didn't once move. "Why would she leave in the middle of the night? Why couldn't she wait till morning? What could be so important for her to just up and go like that? How could she-" Suzaku stopped himself, heaved a loud sigh and brought up his hand to ruffle his softly curly locks.

"You are quite interested in her wellbeing, darling," C.C. said. Sarcasm drifted from her every single word and that's when Suzaku realized he'd crossed the line. Lelouch resisted the urge to sigh himself.

Finally, Suzaku turned around to look at her who was sitting at her dressing table studying him. "I'm worried about the wellbeing of _all _my servants." He gestured toward Lelouch. "Just like when he got sick. Remember how I insisted that the doctor stay the night?"

"The doctor offered it himself," C.C. replied coldly.

"But I made sure that he was having a comfortable stay. Look, the point is that it's not just Euphie that I'm worried about. If this happened to anyone- Maria, Lucy, Thomas, Lana, Henry, etc, I'd be concerned, too.

"I'm just really curious about her sudden departure, that's all," finished Suzaku. He stepped closer to his wife who was still regarding him with those passive illuminating golden orbs. Reaching out a hand, he gently caressed her face while the other started playing with her long lime-green lock.

Lelouch looked away.

"Really," he said gently. Bending down slightly, he planted a soft kiss on her cheek.

Lelouch felt knots in his stomach.

"You know what I've realized, Suzaku?" C.C. asked.

"What?" His fingers were still twirling a lock between them.

"You never kiss me on the lips."

Suzaku's hand stilled immediately. Lelouch closed his eyes. The room became increasingly suffocating as if air were being sucked out of this space at a rapid, uncontrollably rate.

C.C. sighed and turned around so that now her back was to her husband and her eyes were studying his rigid reflection in the mirror.

Picking up a golden comb, she started combing her silky hair and said, "I wonder why."

**x**

That night, when Lelouch couldn't sleep because the coughing fits were getting worse, almost to the worst point. Frankly, he was glad to be leaving soon; in just two days, he would be out of this place and on to a new journey to someplace far away. Far away from the life he's leading. Far away from the person he wanted to protect most, the person he'd do anything for. He prayed that after this, she'd remain happy. Now that Euphie was gone, Suzaku would have no one to look after but his wife. He would make her happy or at least try to, and that's all that mattered right now.

Lelouch allowed himself a small smile. His sacrifice might not be in vain then.

The fits hit again and he doubled over in pain.

"I need water…" he said to himself. Dragging himself out of bed, Lelouch left the room and walked toward the kitchen.

There, he saw a sight that uprooted all of his hopes.

Suzaku was sitting alone by the counter in the dark. Bottles of gin and vodka were surrounding him. A glass was clutched in his hands and he was downing it as if his life depended on it. Some other empty glasses were littering the counter's surface.

And he was sobbing. His back was to Lelouch. His sniffling and quiet cries carried over to the raven-haired teen who stood there like he had been glued to the ground.

Lelouch thought he saw a silhouette of pink or a shadow of a young girl floating around Suzaku. Her long, flowing pink hair danced about her as she twirled around his shaking frame. Her arms were tenderly wrapped around his neck. Then, she turned and met Lelouch's eyes. Those hollow sockets were scrutinizing him…

In the next seconds, Lelouch found himself in the bathroom vomiting.

**x**

**x**

"Gosh, Lelouch, you look dead! Haven't you been sleeping properly?" Lana said the next morning when he walked into the brightly lit kitchen.

Rubbing his eye, Lelouch stared at the brunette, shook his head and said, "I've just been up late packing, that's why."

"You need to take care of yourself more," she said while picking up the empty glasses on the counter. "You just recovered from a sickness and you don't want to get sick again, right?" She laughed innocently.

"Right," said Lelouch offhandedly. "Let me help you."

"Thanks! The master probably had a tough day after work again," she was saying as he picked up the almost empty gin and vodka bottles. "Working with the king must be hectic."

"Yeah."

"I miss Euphie."

Lelouch's hands stopped.

"She should've said 'goodbye' to all of us! Why did she leave so suddenly?"

The way Lana was looking at him, Lelouch wondered if starting from now, everything concerning Euphie would be drawn back to him. And that's when he decided that he needed to leave _now_. This place was slowly becoming a living hell for him.

* * *

><p>Gulliford placed a hand on the glass-paned window of his study room as he gazed outside at the busy street below. Sometimes, he'd close his eyes and pray that his last breath would be taken the next day so that he could see his wife. It never happened.<p>

Letting out a sigh, the physician realized that it was wrong, _so _wrong to wish death everyday, especially after what his beloved wife did to save his life, he had no right to even consider it but sometimes, certain things couldn't be helped.

Gulliford walked over to his working desk and picked up the photograph of a smiling Cornelia. As his thumb brushed over the glass where her face was, he said to no one in particular, "Why didn't you tell me?"

_Why didn't you tell me what you did until it's too late? If you had… If you had, I'd have made the same offer to save you. I'd rather die to let you live, not the other way around. Cornelia, why didn't you tell me!?_

He didn't realize a couple of teardrops were falling down onto the shiny glass. Wiping at his eyes, Gulliford looked out into the gray skies.

"The skies are gray because they are crying for our fates… Right, Cornelia?" And that's when he'd arrived at his decision.

He was going to go back on his word and tell the lady about her dying servant, because he knew that back then he'd want anyone to tell him what his wife was going through.

* * *

><p>Lelouch took one last look at the room he'd been living in for approximately five years. He could still hear Euphie's laughter echoing about. He could smell her strawberry scent. Closing his eyes and clutching the bag's handle tighter, Lelouch bit back the tears as he took a step back across the threshold and closed the door. Never again would he be able to step in here again.<p>

He'd already announced his departure to the other servants and they all bade him farewell. Lana was closest to him next to Euphie so she burst into tears and gave him a huge hug while reminding him to write her all the time. He'd smiled back and patted her head. Little did she know she was looking at him for the last time.

Now, the hardest part was to face the master and the lady of the house.

To his surprise, only C.C. came to see him off.

"I guess this is goodbye, Lelouch," she said softly as they were standing by the opened door leading out to the main path across the garden.

"Yes," he said.

"I apologize for my husband," she said. "It appears he'd had a tough day with the king yesterday so he took to the liquor to relieve his stress. Now, he's all passed out and in no condition to see you off."

Lelouch stared at her. _Does she really believe that? _he thought.

She returned his inquisitive stare. _Give me some credits, Lelouch. I'm smarter than that._

"It's okay," he said at last, breaking the silence. "I'm blessed enough to have the lady herself come say her farewell."

C.C. held his gaze.

"Lelouch, may I ask you one last thing?" she spoke quietly.

"Of course."

"What group am I in?"

Taken aback by the question not because it was unexpected but because of the fact that she still remembered their conversation. Clearing his throat, Lelouch answered, "Like I said before, you're in neither group."

"How come?"

"Because… because you're too important to belong to any one."

She blinked then shook her head. "That doesn't make sense. Do you care about me or do you not? I can't be in between."

Lelouch allowed a smirk to cross his face. "If I cared about you then I'd do anything to protect you. But where does that protection end? What purpose does it serve? I'd simply protect you from any harm. If I didn't care about you then you could go die for all I care."

C.C.'s eyes bore into his as he went on, "I don't want to just protect you, I want to ensure your happiness. I'd go to any length to make sure you're happy, therefore, you're too important to belong to any group." Bowing his head, he spoke softly.

"Goodbye, C.C."

_If we ever meet again in the next life, let's stay together forever that not even death can part us. _

_Let us not become a pitiful pair anymore._

As he was walking away from the mansion, Lelouch brought out his handkerchief and coughed into it. He'd been holding it in and now when he looked at it, the crimson sight frightened even him.

After he had left, C.C. quietly closed the door and walked to the common bathroom. Shutting the door behind her, she slid down onto the cold floor and cried and cried. But no one could have heard her because she made sure that not even herself could hear her own cries.

**x**

**x**

"Madam?"

Soft knocks on the door woken C.C. from her troubled slumber. She had been tossing and turning the whole time. The room felt cold. The bed felt empty. When she was about to fall asleep, she was sure Suzaku had also gotten into bed with her. But now there was no warmth next to her.

"Madam?" More knocking and it gave C.C. a headache.

"What is it?" she said, sitting up and clutching her head.

"The physician requested an audience with you."

"Gulliford?" She turned to look at the door. "Did he give a reason?"

A beat. "He only said that it's very urgent and important."

"I'll be down there soon."

"Yes, Madam." Sounds of feet moving away.

C.C. looked to her right and she was right. Suzaku had left. There were traces of him sleeping next to her, but the man was nowhere in sight. C.C. let out a tired sigh as she got out of bed and quickly got dressed.

She was halfway down the stairs when she saw Gulliford. He didn't have his medical kit with him and he looked distraught.

"What is so important that you wanted to see me at this ungodly hour, Gulliford?"

Gulliford blinked. He glanced down at his watch. "But Milady, it's only half past four…"

C.C. massaged her temple. "I wasn't feeling well so I took a nap. You disrupted my slumber."

"My sincerest apologies, Milady." He bowed but she knew he couldn't have cared less.

"No matter." Her eyes hardened. _Where is Suzaku? _"What is it that you want, Gulliford?"

The physician looked up and straight into C.C.'s eyes. "I wish to see Lelouch, Milady."

"You missed him," she said. "He left this afternoon."

Gulliford's eyes widened and C.C. narrowed her eyes. Was that fleeting fear she just saw in those orbs right there?

"He left? Did he tell you where he was going?" he asked quickly.

"Presumably back to his house with his sister. I have the address if you want it."

"His sister…"

"Yes, Nunnally." C.C. took a couple of steps down the marble stairs. "What's the matter here? Why do you wish to see Lelouch?"

Gulliford took a deep breath. He fell down into the chair he'd risen from. There was a defeat aura around the man that caused C.C. unease.

"Gulliford, tell me what's wrong. It's an order." Her voice hardened.

"Milady," Gulliford began carefully, "his sister… No, that's not important. Please, Milady, you have to believe what I'm about to tell you. It's going to sound extremely absurd but it's the whole truth, I promise you. You just have to believe me."

C.C.'s heart made a small leap. She tightened the shawl around her. "Tell me."

* * *

><p><span>AN: Last chapter is coming up! Thank you so much for reading and taking your time to review! :) I truly love to know what your thoughts are.


	9. E

Lelouch's feet carried him on and on without direction, without a goal. They just kept walking forward. His mind was a blank page. His arms were heavy from carrying the bags.

_What's the use for these anymore? I'm going to die soon._

The problem was he didn't know when. However, with the amount of blood he'd been losing, he didn't doubt his end wasn't that far behind. Death was slowly catching up and he was glad, because the agony was increasingly, greatly growing.

At last, he made up his mind.

Lelouch walked for a couple of minutes until he found a good, comfortable and secluded spot. It was a little corner right next to the bus stop. A lot of homeless people usually hung about here but today, strangely enough there was no one here. Lelouch was silently rejoiced.

Putting the suitcases down next to him, he sat down. Tightening the jacket around him, Lelouch rested his arms on his knees and titled his head backward against the concrete wall of a building, and closed his eyes.

It was cold. The weather was getting colder now. Winter was quickly approaching. So was the beautiful snow. Maybe with his illness, coupling with the deadly weather, he'd soon meet his Creator. At least, that's what he's hoping. He just wanted the suffering to end.

Suddenly, Lelouch felt a presence before him. Behind the closed eyelids, he could sense something or rather _someone._

Before Lelouch could open them, however, said presence grabbed his shirt's collar and jerked him up on his feet.

Lelouch gasped as he saw who it was.

"Suzaku!"

All the formalities were forgotten.

Suzaku was standing there, holding onto Lelouch's shirt's collar in a fist. There was something off about him. His eyes… Yes, those bright, emerald-green and lively orbs were no longer their usual selves. They were dark, menacing and dead. As if their spirits were sucked right out of them, leaving empty shells behind.

"S-Suzaku, what are you doing?" Lelouch asked hesitantly. Then, a gleam caught his eye and he glanced down. His eyes widened at the sight.

Suaku was holding a sword by his side. It was sheathless and gleaming in the dark.

_Seems like I'm going away faster than I thought._

"What is this?" Lelouch swallowed.

Those dead eyes bore into the raven-haired teen's.

"You killed her," Suzaku spoke slowly and evenly.

Lelouch's eyes widened.

"You killed Euphie. You _killed_ her!"

Suzaku threw Lelouch to the side and the latter landed on his back on the ground.

"Arg!" grunted Lelouch as he tried to sit up but Suzaku was faster; he had the tip of the sword pointed at the other's throat. Lelouch went still.

"You killed her," he repeated. "I just know it. There's no way she would have… have gone away like that…" Tears streamed down his face; his hand holding the sword shook. "There's no way she would go anywhere without telling me. You must have killed her! Admit it, Lelouch. Admit you killed Euphie!"

Mere seconds of silence ticked by.

"I know you did." Suzaku was crying now. "You must have… There's no way she would just… disappear like that… No way… No…"

"Suzaku…"

"Admit it, Lelouch. Just admit it!"

"Suzaku!"

The Duke gasped, wiped at his nose with his other free hand. His hand was still shaking slightly but he'd stopped and awaited Lelouch's response.

With his throat so close to the sharp tip of the sword, Lelouch felt for sure that what he said next would end his life. But he was obliged to do so.

"Suzaku, I… I buried her in the back of the mansion. You'll see it. There's small mound of dirt right next to the well-"

Suzaku wailed. Even more tears flowed out uncontrollably. His hand shook violently.

Lelouch held his gaze. He could feel the sword's tip touching his skin. "Please give her a proper burial, Suzaku. And please forgive me. I-I had to do it."

"Why? Why, Lelouch? _Why!?_"

Lelouch could only look at the man sadly and shook his head.

"I'm sorry…"

Suzaku was shaking his head as if he didn't want to believe it.

_But it's the truth… I am so sorry… I know how it feels to have lost someone you truly hold dear…_

"No."

Suddenly, Suzaku bent down, grabbed Lelouch's shirt again and jerked him up. The latter uttered a loud, puzzled gasp before he got thrown against the wall.

"Arg!"

In just a blink of an eye, the Duke already had the sword pointed at his former servant's throat again. His eyes still resembled those of the dead.

"A 'sorry' won't cut it. You'll have to repent for your sin, Lelouch. You killed an innocent girl. Is that why you left, you scum? No, Lelouch, I won't let you get away."

Lelouch closed his eyes.

_Believe what you want, Suzaku. I can't justify my actions to you. I have no right to. What I'm asking you- no, begging you to do is please make C.C. happy. She only has you and you only have her in this lonely world. Don't desert each other._

Suzaku withdrew his sword.

_Make my dying wish come true, please…_

Then he plunged forward.

Lelouch allowed the tiniest smile to cross his face one last time.

Both of them heard it before Lelouch felt it.

They heard the piercing of soft flesh. Then Suzaku witnessed a spurt of blood while Lelouch felt warm liquid splashed over him. And then the raven-haired teen felt the sharp metal tip of the sword slice through his chest, cutting through his airways.

He snapped his eyes open as a loud gasp escaped him. And that's when he witnessed the opening of Hell's gates.

_NO!_

The sword fell from Suzaku's grip as he staggered backward. Losing balance, he fell down with eyes wide open and mouth agape.

Lelouch held tightly onto the figure in front of him. His human shield. His purpose in life.

"Tha-That hurt."

"No… No… NO!" But he, too, lost balance and slid down onto the ground, pulling her with him.

"No, C.C… No… This can't be!" Tears started forming around his eyes as his hold around her waist tightened. His hands felt so wet, so warm. He didn't want to look because he knew how much blood was on them and how red it looked. His hands started trembling.

"You're a fool, Lelouch…" C.C. spoke quietly. "How could you... do such a… thing? You sacrificed… your all for me…" Her breathing was ragged and uneven. Tears were flowing down freely on his face.

She leaned against him as she put her slightly shaking hands over his. "Why?" she whispered.

Lelouch buried his face in her hair. His whole body vibrated against hers. "Because you're… too…"

"… Important to belong to any group… right?" She let out a weak chuckle. "Lelouch… you really are… a… fool…"

"No… C.C… Not like this… No…"

She gasped and her body jerked slightly. "Will you… Will you find me in the next life, Lelouch?"

"Yes, of course." He tightened his hold around her and buried his face deeper in her thick locks. "Of course…"

"I… might look different and… be a different person… but you'll find me… right?"

"Of course, C.C. We'll meet again in the next life."

_If we could ever be reborn, let us be inseparable lovers._

"Let's not… let… death separate… us…" Then her body went limb in his arms.

"C.C.?"

Silence ensued.

"No… No…"

Lelouch looked over at the wide-eyed, gaping Suzaku and suddenly his vision started dimming.

_This is it…_

Lelouch smiled slightly as he pulled C.C.'s body closer to him.

The last thing he saw before a dark veil came down was Suzaku clutching his head and screaming.

_I am so sorry…_

**-end-**

* * *

><p>AN: Thank you so much for sticking to this story.

I feel weird wishing you all "Happy Holidays!" at the end of such a sad, tragic story... But I still want to do it and there's no other place where I can do it soo here goes... Happy Holidays, everyone! Be safe! :)


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